Manifestations
by Isis cw
Summary: Complete! 1xR. Begining after Endless Waltz, a single offer will change Heero's direction, but how do they cope with life: from the mundane everyday, to the lifethreatening? Drama, romance, comedy, action. some 4xD
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: This begins the morning after _Endless Waltz._ Please enjoy…

"Manifestations"  
by: Isis cw  
Chapter 1

The door was open a wide crack as Relena Darlian walked down the hall towards it. She stalled for just a second before she resolved herself and pushed it open. The hospital room was exactly like all the others; the door opened in, facing away from the bed for privacy. The cramped room held a small bathroom closed off in the corner, a green overstuffed chair next to the window on the opposite wall, and a bed, surrounded by various equipment and an IV hanger.

It was late morning, and a pale shadow of light draped across the floor and chair, filtering in through the paper blinds. All but one light above the door was out, leaving it just dim enough to sleep by.

Relena slipped in silently, stepping in just a few paces in order to see the bed… and its occupant. She stopped, suddenly aware that she had been expecting the bed to be empty, IV's pulled out, and none of the hospital staff the wiser. Instead, she found Heero Yuy, lying exactly where he was supposed to be.

His head and back were propped up against a collection of pillows; his face was turned toward the window, eyes closed. The blanket was pulled up to chest height, his right arm draped over the top, and the other was against his side with two IV tubes puncturing his exposed elbow. He had bandages around his left hand and forearm, his right forearm, both elbow and biceps were also wrapped, and a patch was taped lightly to the right side of his neck. The nurse on duty had already told her when he was brought in that the burns he suffered from the explosion of Wing Zero were not life threatening. But they would need antiseptic treatment.

The concussion of the blast was another thing. Relena was now part of the search and rescue crew who were still digging out the wreckage and she had seen the corpse of the gundam herself. The noble machine had literally torn itself apart; pieces where blown in a nearly mile wide debris pattern. The cockpit and the sensitive instruments were fried beyond recognition, and just for good measure, the fire had melted down any of the control boards that might have been salvaged.

The sight of the dead machine had been enough to make her feel sick. The thought of Heero climbing out of that, and making it back to the underground safe house was all she could take this morning. The search had been on for nearly thirteen hours now and no other survivors or bodies had been recovered. They had sketchy reports of around twenty-five people unaccounted for, but Relena was beginning to suspect that perhaps those few people had managed to sneak off during the confusion and had chose to avoid relating to the world that they were still alive. Part of her could understand that, and empathize with those who wished to move away from war as someone else entirely…

The young man in front of her had made a declaration last night that would no doubt end his life, as he had known it. Heero had sworn that he would never be forced to kill again.

Relena let out a silent sigh and smiled at the sleeping figure in front of her. He hadn't stirred and she wondered if he had ever regained consciousness during the night. She closed her eyes a moment and decided it would be better if she didn't try to disturb him, even if it meant that the next time she came, he wouldn't be here. She had assured herself that he was all right and being carefully looked after. That was all she really needed to know.

She turned to leave, trying to silently close the door behind her. There was a soft rustle as she left the room that made her pause in the doorway long enough to hear a raspy voice whisper her name. She froze a second, letting out her caught breath. Opening the door wide again, she slipped back inside the dim room. Peeking around the door she found Heero awake and waiting for her.

Relena blinked back her surprise and drew herself up to full height with a smile. She stepped fully into the room and swung the door closed behind her. "I didn't mean to wake you," she commented softly, walking over to his bedside.

He blinked at her and shook his head once. She stood beside him, folding her hands in front of her. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," he mumbled, his voice still a bit fuzzy. He looked up at her again and his expression changed. He moved his good hand to her face and tilted her chin away from him for a moment. Relena started; she didn't dare move, or even breathe. Out of the corner of her eye she watched his determined features scrutinize something as his fingers ran over a spot along her jaw line. He pulled his hand back and took a look over her hair, the borrowed overalls, and her dirty tennis shoes.…

Realization kicked in and she blushed lightly. "I know, I'm a mess," she chuckled to herself. Taking her own hand she rubbed at the same spot along her jaw and came away with a smudge of dirt or grease on her hand. She smiled in spite of herself as he nodded, his features back to their usual passive calm. "We organized search groups last night, and we've covered most of the area now."

"Are there missing?"

It was an earnest question that she knew he didn't really want to ask. Relena understood very well that if Heero's third shot had been precisely on target she—and the rest of the shelter—would be ash around a very large hole right now. She had seen his marksmanship under more dire conditions than that of last night. Her own explanation was that he had made a conscious decision not to hurt anyone inside.… She met his eyes steadily, "There are reported missing, but we haven't turned up anything."

He turned toward the window and nodded slowly. Something in that humbled expression didn't sit well with her. She placed a hand over top of his and gently asked again, "Are you sure you're all right?"

He blinked and looked back up at her, "Your hands are cold."

"Sorry," she gasped, blushing profusely. She snatched her hand back, holding both of them in front of her again.

Without a word he reached back and took both of her hands in his and brought them back to the bed, covering them with his hand to warm them up, giving her no choice but to take a few steps closer. She watched him, watching their hands. And at that point she didn't care if her overalls were filthy as she carefully sat down on the edge of his bed.

"I half expected you to be gone when I came up here," she said softly, finding something to break her own nervousness.

He blinked once, obviously in no hurry to answer her. "I haven't figured out where to go yet."

Relena was surprised for the tenth time since she had walked into this room. But why should it have surprised her really? Heero had been fighting his whole life; exactly what did he have left, now that he had sworn that away?

She stared at him; his quiet eyes still focused on something else. That soft expression was one that she had been privileged to see only a few times through their dealings. It revealed his inner kindness, that gentle purity that gave him that imposing strength that was so addictive to her. She couldn't imagine what she might have done during these times without the hope that he inspired in her.

Relena focused her eyes on his hand covering hers and let out the breath she'd been holding. "You could always stay if you wanted."

Heero blinked and looked up at her face again. Relena was quiet and kept her eyes down. There was nothing demanding in her voice, nothing pleading, not even an earnest desire. It was a genuine offer, given for him to freely take or leave. Perhaps she really did know him enough to realize that this had to be his own decision.

Slowly she lifted her head up and looked him in the eye. Heero didn't have an answer for her. How could he? He had never been in the same place for more than a few months, and always because there was something there for him to focus on. This past year had been maddening at times. He checked the Preventers' reports and work logs constantly, antsy for a reason to _do_ something.

He understood Wufei's question yesterday. He had wondered over it many times himself. What was there left for the soldiers who never knew peace before? What were they to do now that there were no more battles to fight? What use did they have now?

But Heero understood something that Wufei didn't at that point. What was the use of soldiers fighting if they didn't have something to protect?

Looking into Relena's eyes, he realized that his choice to protect was made a long time ago.

Time ticked by, and he still found nothing to say to her. But it didn't seem important that he give her an answer now... she wasn't really waiting for one.

Slowly a smile formed on her lips and her eyes closed. Her hands moved up to surround his instead. "Please know that you're always welcome, no matter where you go, Heero." It wasn't over a whisper but it made him marvel at her emotions.

"Relena…." He still didn't have anything to say but it seemed like a response was needed to an offer like that.

She looked up at him again, her smile soft and relaxed. There had always been something about her that made him feel like she knew him, now was no different. He nodded, knowing she understood.

That only made her smile widen, but she pulled back from him. Slipping her hands away from his she stood up, smoothing down the front of the large overalls she was wearing. He watched her prepare to leave, knowing that she wanted him to think over what she had said. She caught his eyes again and smiled once more. "Please get some rest. I need to get back before they miss me."

"Hn," he nodded.

She turned and opened the door, letting in the noise of the hallway. He saw her pause just a second and then turn over her shoulder, "Please take care." And that was all, she was gone. The door had been left, as always, as a wide crack to the outside.

Relena walked slowly away from his room, a smile still touching her lips. It didn't matter if he had responded to her offer to stay or not. She really hadn't expected him to. It was alright.

She walked back out of the hospital and flagged down the Preventers' unit that was waiting for her. A large part of her expected he wouldn't stay, she wouldn't lie to herself. And she knew that when she returned, he would be gone, IV's pulled out and none of the staff the wiser. Somewhere inside she wondered if she would ever really see him again. If this era was truly over, and war was no longer being fought, there was a good chance that he would slip away and start over in life.

Somehow, it wasn't as sad as she imagined. Somehow, she could handle knowing that he could move on, that he would be all right. He deserved any life that he wanted.…

* * *

"Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution." - Kahlil Gibran

AN: Originally, this was a one-shot, but I had so many ideas I wanted to continue. Please enjoy!

Proofed by: Lisa. Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

"Manifestations"  
By Isis cw  
Chapter 2

"…In one single day, we all took it upon ourselves to determine the path that we would take. Each and every one of you here, and all who are listening to this broadcast, had to decide for yourselves whether to work for peace or to allow war to continue threatening our United Nation. I am so very pleased to be standing here, surrounded by those who chose to fight for the peace that they so desperately want. I salute all of you who came to this battleground to contain and deter actions of war against our unified peoples."

Relena paused, looking out over the crowd of cheering people. A crowd that had arrived on "ground zero" in answer to her plea for people to fight for the peace that they desire. She smiled out at them as they yelled and clapped and waved Earth Sphere flags.

"But it is not enough." She let the noise die down. "It is not enough for the burden of preventing war to rest on the shoulders of those who could gather here. It is up to each and every human being to make a conscious and deliberate choice every single day to fight for the freedoms of peace. This task falls on all of us, no matter how young or old, no matter how fit or frail, and no matter where on Earth or in the Colonies we are."

Once again the cheers went up and Relena stepped aside, presenting the podium back to the President of the ESUN. He had reached the site as soon as he could, and he was now acting the part of the figurehead for the people gathered here.

Relena didn't mind being spit out of the limelight. She slipped into her seat on the makeshift platform, far enough from the podium that the camera didn't catch her in the background. She once again wore the pink pantsuit that she had been in at the time of her abduction by Mariemaia's men. The borrowed overalls were returned to their owner and she had been thoroughly scrubbed up for the camera event.

This was the first time that the media had been allowed to get into the perimeter around the safe house that Mariemaia had taken her to. Up until now, those people out in the audience had been scavenging through the wreckage, attempting to find any other survivors. They had only uncovered two bodies, both having been crushed in the explosion, but no one believed they would find any more. The rest would be up to the appropriate construction crews.

Relena sat with her ankles crossed neatly under her, her hands were folded in her lap, and she looked out at the throng of people before her. They had indeed done their part to win their own little wars. She wondered if there would be a time when the desire for war would be an ancient and despicable thing. Something children learn in school that people in the old days did, something that would seem barbarous by their new and cultured standpoint.

Looking out into the crowd of dirty, smudged faces of those who helped to search for their fellow humans, whom may or may not have been on the same side, it gave her some hope.

* * *

The conference had lasted much longer than she had wanted it to. Relena had even been conned into a couple of private interviews, asking about the threat to her safety and her kidnapping. She had brushed it aside, stating that those who wished for battle where confused and did not believe that humans—left to democratic decisions—could avoid war. Somehow, she didn't figure most of the readers would understand that. She was only beginning to herself.

After her escape from the reporters she had entered the closest hospital. There were many in the area that were caring for those injured during the battle. She intended to see them all, speak with a few of those who fought, and offer her help in seeing them back to their homes. But this hospital had to be first. She had a few interesting patients to check on.

Relena brushed off the reporters that crowded the front doors, not being allowed into the building for the express purpose of preserving the peace for the recovering occupants. Once inside she breathed again, the slightly over-purified air coming sweet to her after being word-beaten on the streets outside for hours now. She calmly walked up to the duty station and requested the condition of "a young girl."

The password worked and the nurse nodded to her and asked her to step across the hall to a waiting room. She complied and chose a chair next to the window, her companion Preventer officer slipped into the room and stood against the opposite wall. It only took a few minutes for Commander Une to enter the waiting room and whisper something to the officer. He nodded sharply and left, closing the door behind him.

Commander Une took a seat next to Relena and sighed quietly. Relena simply waited for the older woman to catch her breath, not wanting to rush any bad news.

"The doctors believe she will pull through. The surgery went well and she is resting easily."

"That is good to hear," Relena smiled.

Commander Une nodded and then looked over at her. "We will need to relocate her and convince the public that she died with Dekim."

Relena nodded, worry setting in. "Will she be safe?"

Une stood up, smoothing down her uniform. "I will make sure that she is." The Lady walked out of the room, leaving the door open behind her.

Relena waited, thinking over what would happen to the child now. She was wise far beyond her years and would not adapt well to the quiet life of a little girl. But she was alive, that was testimony enough to the fact that there was a place for her.

She smiled faintly and stood up. The officer attached himself to her again as soon as she left the waiting room. Slowing, she let him catch up with her and asked in a whisper if he could wait next to the entrance, that she had one more person to visit this evening and that she wouldn't be long. The man gave her a nervous twitch but finally nodded and retreated back to the nurses' station.

Relena smiled simply at him and turned down the hall. She reached the same room that she had before; the door still opened a crack. Slowly she pushed it in and peeked into the dimly lit room.

There were no surprises for her this time. The room was empty; the IVs were pulled out and left uselessly on the bed. A pile of bandages were discarded as well, left on top of one of the various machines.

Relena smiled to herself and closed her eyes a moment. For some reason, she felt happy inside.

She returned to the nurses' station and asked when the patient in room 312 had been released. The nurse flipped open a couple of files and frowned at her. "That patient has not been released. I'm afraid he has not regained consciousness yet."

Relena blinked at her before smiling, "I'm sure I didn't have the wrong room."

The nurse wheeled her chair around and uncovered a monitor station. "We are still monitoring a heartbeat for that patient, Miss. You must have been mistaken."

Relena smiled again and nodded. "I suppose I must have been. Thank you for your help."

As she walked down the hallway toward the outside world again, she was satisfied to hear the nurse ask an orderly for an unscheduled bed check for room 312. She couldn't help but smile at the thought. The poor hospital staff would be working for days trying to figure out what happened. She wondered idly how someone mimicked a heartbeat….

* * *

Relena Darlian picked her way across the snow-covered driveway and up the front steps of her home. The doors were both propped open despite the below freezing temperatures that the early evening brought. Workers were rushing in and out, carrying ladders, scaffolding, wires and various other equipment.

She entered through the doors surrounded by no less than three uniformed Preventers, who escorted her up the main flight of stairs. They allowed her to enter her personal sitting room only after the trio had checked in with house command that none of the motion sensors had shown any un-authorized activity in her rooms during the day.

The three men nodded to her and wished her a good evening before she closed the door on them—and the rest of the world—for the night. Relena stood staring blankly at the door for a moment, deciding it would be best if she just didn't think about it.

If she would just not think about how her entire house was now being impregnated with video cameras and surveillance equipment. How every corner of her house and grounds were being raped by crews of workers—all with security checks of 3 points or higher. For nearly two months now her security had been completely over-hauled, ensuring that the Vice Foreign Minister, Relena Darlian would have security measures equal to the President of ESUN himself.

Setting her briefcase on the table beside the door she walked over and sat down in a chair next to the window. She hated trying not to think about things….

Looking out, she could see the last rays of sun trying to peek through the heavy clouds, just before retiring for the evening. Having not turned on the light when she entered she sat, bathed in dim, red light, listening to the muffled thuds and bangs from downstairs.

Ever since her kidnapping the Preventers' headquarters had been using her for a field test of every kind of new and improved surveillance and anti-terrorist device they could get their fingers around. It had been instantly decided that her home, office, and a few other locations she visited regularly, would be completely monitored at all times.

It had taken every ounce of convincing power she had to allow her the privacy of keeping her own set of rooms free from cameras. After all, what would happen if there was a leak and the tabloids got a hold of actual pictures of her in her night clothes—or worse, in the shower! No, she had been allowed to keep a certain set of rooms off limits.

However, the fact that there were no cameras didn't mean that she had complete freedom. All of the doors in, around, and through her rooms had active motion sensors, as well as all of her windows. A fact that she had forgotten only once….

Rolling her eyes she sighed and looked down at the little chess table sitting in front of her. Each night that she came home to this she would sit here and move the pieces around absently, and wait to be told that all "non-essential" personnel had been cleared from the area and that she could then come down for dinner.

Relena lived _alone_ in the house with only one cook, one maid, and her guard force of fifteen Preventer officers, five for each shift, and a few backup replacements. Oh, except on weekends, when each shift had six different officers. She knew each one by name and face—whether she wanted to or not; it was mandatory that she memorize each one of them to prevent any "intruders" from gaining her confidence.

She sat staring out the window that she dare not open. At least not without first informing house command that she was intending to, and promising that she wouldn't lean out. In that case they would send up an officer to join her in the room to ensure that no one infiltrated the "safe zone" by tricking the computer into thinking it was her.

Relena picked up a pawn from the board and let it roll around in her hand. "All you do is march out and die for your queen," she mumbled to it before placing it back on its square.

A beep sounded from the little intercom next to the door and Relena stood up and walked over to it, pressing the button. "Yes?"

"Miss Relena, I have been informed by security that the workers could be late this evening. I have been told that it would be alright if they brought up dinner to you in your rooms, if you would prefer not to wait?"

The cook was a sweet lady, young with two adorable children at home. She always ran recipes by her first, to see what was to her liking, and she always made sure to have snack food stocked in case she had a restless night. However, Relena doubted very much that she would be inclined to frequent the camera-filled house in her robe at three in the morning after this.

"That would be fine, thank you." Relena was about to turn away when she thought of something and pressed her finger back to the intercom. "Marie, do we have anything chocolate?"

* * *

Heero lazily walked down the crowded streets of L1 colony 193677, taking his time getting to the inter-colony rail station. He didn't have anything to hurry for. It was a change to simply walk along with everyone else in the prime of after-school traffic. He held a couple of books in one hand, blending in with the un-uniformed college crowds.

Adjusting to the fact that he no longer had anything to offer a potential threat—and therefore didn't warrant being monitored—was something he was still getting use to. Instead, he was finding it relatively easy to blend in, to be able to float in and out of groups around him. He would listen to snippets of conversations, learning to hear without searching for key words and phrases.

All right, so he really didn't have anything else to do. He had spent nearly the past two months bouncing around from place to place, closing up "safe houses" and cleaning up his haphazard personal history file. With the sheer number of aliases he had lived under, it was taking longer than he had thought to collect and destroy the false identities and addresses, as well as leaving behind a neat—albeit scattered—history of one Heero Yuy.

But it didn't matter. With Wing Zero and the rest of the gundams gone he had no need for his former way of life. His atonement wouldn't be finished until he erased what he could of his past. And this would be one of his last stops.

Heero picked a spot against the rail station's gates and waited, watching the crowd around him and trying to learn to not suspect them.

A younger girl ran by him, waving frantically to a group waiting on the bench nearby. They were obviously schoolmates; all of them wore the same blue uniform, complete with the same braided hairstyle. Heero smirked just noticeably, wondering how they found the time to coordinate such things.

The group of girls was definitely louder than the rest of the waiting public surrounding the gates, but that wasn't what drew Heero's interest. The final girl to arrive had something of obvious interest to the rest, and their excited squeals stilled him considerably.

"Hot off the magazine rack!" the first gushed, breathless.

"Oh, let me see!"

"Miss Relena made the front cover."

"Oh, isn't she adorable! We should do our hair like that tomorrow."

The group giggled uncontrollably.

"Hush, hush! Hurry up and read – we've only got a couple minutes."

"In Depth with Relena Darlian," one sing-songed as she opened the magazine and began to read.

Heero glanced sideways at the group of schoolgirls. Somehow an article on Relena didn't seem like something a group like that would be so… capricious over.

Just for once Heero allowed himself to let his curiosity take over. Stepping away from the gate's guardrail he walked over and took a seat on the opposite side of the large round bench from the girls. He pulled out one of the books he had with him and opened it, feigning interest in its words.

"Alright, article or personals?"

"Personals!" the group chimed in.

Hn, so this wasn't a political article at all. It was somehow amusing to think that Relena had a schoolgirl fan club. Flipping the page he settled back against the concrete bench.

"Okay. Question one, 'What is your favorite color,' answer was blue. 'Favorite Season,' is Spring. 'Favorite food,' is chocolate!" A round of giggles mixed with a list of agreements went up from the group.

Heero almost chuckled; maybe Relena did deserve the under-aged following.

"Oh, we know all this, skip to the bear!"

…Bear?

"I'm looking, I'm looking. '…I asked Miss Relena one of my favorite interview questions: What is the one thing you couldn't live without? Her response was immediate: 'My teddy bear.'" The group erupted with ohs and giggles.

Heero froze. The page he was turning stopped in mid-movement.

"Shh! 'I was shocked to say the least. I informed Miss Relena that she didn't seem to be the type of young lady that would hold onto a stuffed animal. She laughed and replied that the person who gave it to her didn't seem like the type who would give a teddy bear either. The small bear, pictured on our front cover, is said to travel with the young Vice Minister wherever she goes. When at home, Miss Relena revealed that she has a special place for Teddy, as she calls him, to sit.'"

"Hurry, the train's coming!"

"'Miss Relena also said that Teddy is an intricate part of her staff, and always revises her speeches for her, being sure to let her know when one is too long, or too boring.'" The girls giggled non-stop as the small transit train pulled up to the gate.

"I'll bring this tomorrow!" the reader yelled as she boarded with one of the other girls, leaving the rest to wait for their connection.

Heero didn't bother trying to catch his train. He stared down blindly at the book in front of him. A fuzzy, dumbfound feeling settled in on him that he could not describe.

He hadn't expected anything from the little bear that he had given to her as a birthday present. It was just something, like what he was doing here today, that eased his ties to his past. The little girl, taking Mary the dog for a walk…. It was the biggest mistake of his life, and had killed nearly a hundred civilians in the housing complex next to the mobile suit factory. He had found the little dog's body in a pile of rubble next to a badly burned teddy bear….

He looked up from the book and out to the busy sidewalk in front of him. Relena, at some point, had replaced that little girl in his mind. Protecting her, he had somehow thought he could make up for the accidental death of an innocent girl and her dog.

Heero stood up from the bench and walked away from the rail gate, out onto the busy sidewalk again. The bear had been more of a symbol to him than he figured it would be to her. It was a peace offering… and maybe even a promise. A promise that he didn't realize fully until he locked the crosshairs of Wing Zero on that presidential safe house for the third time. There were too many people in there. And too important of a person.

But she had kept the little bear. Not only kept it, but she kept it with her….

Somehow the fuzzy feeling left, being overcome with something close to… pride. He blinked at the thought, wondering about the odd switch. "…Didn't seem like the type of person who would give a teddy bear either." So he didn't seem like the type. That didn't bother him, it was clear he didn't really understand the action completely himself.

But that touch of pride wouldn't leave him. She kept it, whether she associated that bear with him or with anything else didn't really matter.

Heero stepped smoothly into the oncoming foot traffic and doubled his previous pace as he traced his steps back past the rail gate. He realized that he was allowing one girl to overrule his better instincts but he indulged his curiosity. If he was honestly going to begin his life over again, and truly follow his emotions, then he didn't really have a choice.

The old man was snoozing inside the magazine stand when he found it. The one he was looking for was hard to miss. _Girl's Interview_ was on prominent display with Relena's picture holding up the little bear next to her. The man woke up and looked at Heero a bit oddly when he picked up the top copy. But Heero gave him an out-of-place expression and the old man chuckled as he wrapped it in a plain paper sack, giving him the sage advice that his "girlfriend owed him a kiss for this one."

Heero favored him with an un-characteristic smirk before pacing off quickly. Maybe he did have somewhere he needed to be.

* * *

"It's not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let's face it, far more reliable than a man." - Miranda Ingram

"A teddy bear is a faithful friend. You can pick him up at either end. His fur is the color of breakfast toast, and he's always there when you need him most." – Author Unknown.

Proofed by: Lisa. Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

"Manifestations"  
By: Isis  
Chapter 3

"Miss Relena, Lieutenant Jameson will meet you at your office. He has a new officer to inform you of."

Relena nodded to the Preventers' officer beside her as she made her way into the government building. "Thank you."

He escorted her up to the third floor and into the West wing, which housed her office, staff, and the offices of the Foreign Minister as well. She checked in with her secretary as the young man excused himself. "Good morning, Dawna. What do we have today?"

Her personal assistant smiled at her warmly and nodded behind Relena, subtly rolling her bright green eyes.

Relena knew the look and braced herself. She turned to find Lieutenant Dave Jameson milling around the hallway by her office door, fidgeting with anything he could.

Jameson was a very competent man and in all fairness Relena liked him, but he just honestly could not sit still. He was approximately in his late forties, much senior to most of the officers she encountered. This meant he was an excellent choice as the commanding officer in charge of her security, both on and off world, meaning that she got to be very well acquainted with him. He had a good heart, but the man knew nothing about the Colonies or about diplomacy. She had gotten his advice of "blow them all up and see who they cry over" more than once.

Turning back to Dawna she sighed with a smile, "Hold my calls."

"I'll patch them right through," she joked, winking at her.

She walked steadily down the hallway toward her chief security advisor. He had already spotted her and waited, almost patiently, for her to come within earshot. "Good morning, Miss Relena."

"Good morning, Lt. Dave."

"I am afraid that I have some interesting news for you today."

"Now why would you be afraid of that?" she smiled.

He chuckled low and nodded. Handing her a file folder he went on, "But I am afraid that I will have to leave you in someone else's hands for your trips."

She blinked. "Really?"

He nodded, a bit sourly. "Some of the higher-ups decided that it'd be best to have your away security teams headed by someone more 'familiar with colony facilities and protocols'," he mimicked.

Relena choked back the smile and licked her lips instead. "Does that mean you will remain with the house crew only?"

He nodded, pulling his hands behind his back and wiggling his bushy red mustache absently. "It will give me some nice vacation time while you're away," he tried to smile.

Relena looked down at the folder in her hands and smiled too. "So I have a new officer for my away missions?"

"You have a new mission commander."

She blinked at him, confused.

"They have sent you a Special Agent to lead the team."

Her shoulders drooped noticeably. "Do they really think that's necessary?"

"Apparently," he grimaced. "He will be meeting with you tomorrow morning to introduce himself," the sour expression crossed his face again. "Now, Miss Relena, you would be the last person that I would talk to about age, but this new guy…" he shook his head and lowered his voice. "I don't know who's long lost nephew he is, but I sure don't understand how he got an agent's jacket that's for sure. He's got Commander Une tied up and gift-wrapped if you ask me. So if he does anything screwy, something you don't like, you let me know right away, ya hear?"

Relena looked up at the older man, a bit shocked. The Lieutenant had his quirks, but he was someone that she had come to trust and he wasn't normally the type to put down a fellow officer….

"I will be sure to bear that in mind." What else was she going to say?

He nodded to her, his expression not changing. "I'll be keeping an eye on him too." He nodded and turned away from her. "What is it about you kids these days? Something in the water I tell ya…."

She watched him mumble his way down the hall, a hard lump forming in her stomach. She looked down at the folder in her hand and pushed open her office door. Quietly closing it behind her she stood in the empty office fingering the unsuspicious yellow file folder. "These kids…. Tied up and gift wrapped…."

Feeling odd, she swallowed a deep breath and opened up the folder in front of her.

The neat little file held five or six pages of information clamped together on the right side with a group of letters and certificates in the pocket on the left. But paper-clipped neatly in the right corner was a picture. Her heart froze to lead in her chest, squashing the air out of her lungs.

She forced herself to take a breath and focused her eyes off of it. She walked, very deliberately, over to her desk and sat down, placing her briefcase neatly on the floor next to her and then reopened folder in front of her.

Relena folded her hands together and brought them up under her chin to keep them steady as she stared down. His picture showed his face and shoulders, his piercing blue eyes lost none of their intensity due to the photograph. His shoulders were already wrapped in the brown stripes of a Preventers' agent jacket.

"Special Agent, Heero Yuy," it read. "Preventer Security Division. Assignment: Security Mission Commander, Vice Foreign Minister, Relena Darlian. Commission date: February 28, AC 197."

The 28th was Monday. If he was really going to be in her office tomorrow morning that meant that he had just replaced the Lieutenant as the highest-ranking officer in her security force in less than a week. No wonder Jameson was grumpy.

But something didn't sit right in all of this. Actually, it was _all_ right. All of the paperwork was signed and dated; background and security checks were all complete and signed by someone named James Su-_squiggle_, there was a letter of recommendation signed by Commander Une herself. Health and fitness reports were filled in with specific numbers, training sessions were given valid reasons for wavers, most of which read: "exemplified proficiency." It was just too… real.

Heero had actually gone through all of the proper channels and chain of command. His personal history was neatly laid out in front of her, and even though she knew it wasn't accurate it was signed off on by the best of the Preventers' background checks. Heero was, for all practical purposes, an official and credited Preventer Special Agent.

It just didn't make sense.

She knew very well that her personal security still wasn't strong enough that it would keep Heero at bay if he really needed to see her for some reason. And, with all honesty, if he needed to be able to slip into her security force for some time Commander Une would sign off on it for him with no questions asked and none of this required. Why all the work? Why submit himself to the tests and checks and history reports? Why….

Unless, he intended to stay.

The jolt of the idea defibrillated her heart back to life as it raced inside her chest. Relena slowly closed the file and moved it to the corner of her desk. Standing up, she walked to the small restroom in the corner of her office and closed the door behind her. Being the only room in the office complex that wasn't as wired as her house, she took advantage of the camera-less space.

She balled her hand into a fist and placed it over her heart. Leaning her head back against the door she closed her eyes, and whispered his name.

It had to be the only explanation…. Her breathing slowed and she felt the rock gradually untwist out of her stomach.

Well, it was probably her fault. What else did she expect when she asked him to stay…? Quite honestly, she hadn't cared at the time. Smiling to herself she realized that she probably shouldn't care now.

Slowly Relena opened her eyes again. There was an odd touch of pride that came to her when she realized that he had actually accepted an invitation she offered. Letting herself giggle at the thought she smoothed down her jacket in the mirror and happily held onto that feeling as she left the restroom and moved back to her desk. She would deal with Heero Yuy tomorrow… and the next day… and probably the one after that too.

* * *

The ESUN government building had originally begun life as a large brick hospital. It was a three-sided square, which housed a magnificent courtyard in the center and parking area around the back. The front, or middle area, housed mostly meeting rooms and facilities for press conferences as well as offices for more minor officials. In the center was a clock tower that looked eleven stories down to the highway that ran by out front.

The two wings extended out behind, allowing for more security measures, and housed the offices of the higher political figures. The East wing was primarily used by the President and his join staff members. The West wing housed Foreign Policy offices, which had been expanded significantly since all territories on Earth and in the Colonies were considered to be "foreign" now that they were unified.

And on the West wing's third floor were the offices of the Foreign Minister and his associates, not the least of which was Miss Relena Darlian.

And directly across the street was a newly constructed building dedicated to the Preventers' headquarters. The glass structure glared the morning sun out at the passersby. Two large footbridges arched over the highway between the buildings, allowing for easy access. The clear, although bulletproof, tunnels were nearly empty by ten in the morning. A scattering of uniformed Preventers moved about and a few aids were carrying files back and forth in the chilly March air.

There were still patches of snow on the ground when Heero stepped out of the connecting bridge and stood in front of the ESUN government building. He moved quickly inside, his breath coming out in a fog. The front doors were merely ceremonial; the lower rooms facing the highway were usually empty and did not hold any sensitive material in case of an outside terrorist attack. However, they were not unprotected.

Two officers stood inside the doors and between him and the security gate, fashioned out of shatterproof and bomb-resistant resin. A half-inch thicker than would be necessary, he noted heading up the small stair steps. He had already been scanned for weapons, explosives, and toxic chemical agents via hidden ultraviolet lights outside, and he had been monitored on surveillance cameras since the moment he stepped out of Preventers headquarters.

Not bad at all.

He unclipped his security badge and handed it to the acting officer who scanned it, giving Heero a once over that he was sure was not purely security motivated. The contents of the folder he was carrying were scanned and he was questioned about his purpose there.

With the knowledge that he was now head of security for Relena's away missions the two opened up a bit, telling him that they would probably see quite a bit of each other. Heero nodded to them and went on his way, not finding it necessary to note the directions they gave him. He had pulled the blueprints of the building as soon as he had gotten an office across the street.

A fuzzy feeling formed in the pit of his stomach as he entered the elevator. Realizing that he was still allowing one girl to have too large of a hold on his emotions he squashed the feeling back down as he stepped off on the third floor.

The receptionist in the outside office was typing quickly at her station, her long brown hair falling over both shoulders. Finishing the sentence in her head she glanced up at him as he came around the corner. Smiling she stopped and scooted away from her keyboard towards the security pass consol, next to the walkway between her L-shaped desk and the wall.

"Good morning," she said, standing up. "You must be Agent Yuy," she extended her hand.

Heero shook her hand and attempted a polite smirk. "Dawna Williams."

She nodded, chuckling a little. "With security screenings, who needs introductions these days, huh?"

He nodded.

"Oh well. Security pass please."

He unclipped his tag again and handed it over. "Please enter code 8796 as well."

She looked up from the card swipe a bit confused, and then back down at it. The machine must have obviously read "Enter Code" because she didn't ask for an explanation. Typing it in she handing him the badge back and waited for it to come up with an acceptable reading.

"Well I've never seen that before," she mumbled to it.

Heero smirked to himself slightly.

"Um…" she started. "It's ticking."

"Security override protocol will initiate in 10 seconds. It will affect Miss Darlian's office only and will only disengage camera and sound."

Dawna looked up at him worriedly, "Is that really necessary?"

He nodded, holding up the folder in his hand. "This meeting will be reflective on all of the security personnel assigned to the Vice Minister. Won't do me any good if they're listening," he explained.

The assistant opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it. Looking down at the consol she read, "Area secured, authorized entrance." She looked up, her green eyes puzzled. "Well, alright. Go right ahead, Agent Yuy."

"Hn," he mumbled and walked off, leaving her a bit dumbfounded.

All right, so Heero had done a little bit of tweaking to his security access file. If anyone minded… well he'd make it more subtle next time.

He turned the corner down the wood paneled hallway to her office and squashed down that same fuzzy feeling.

* * *

Relena read over her presentation on the effects of positive colonial marketing for Representative… somebody, from Colony L2-199 8368 42 95 71 XQHI… BOR ING.

Well, so what if the presentation had been done last week and it was sent out Tuesday? Relena was killing time and she knew it. Glancing down, her little computer clock read 9:57am. She held back a sigh, feeling nervous and anxious and… just plain weird.

A little bubble popped up in the corner of her screen and blinked at her for attention. "Security Override Protocol will initiate in 10 seconds." The little bubble ticked down and Relena blinked at it. Clicking on it, it opened a single sentence explanation: "Preventer Agent Confidentiality Override will temporarily terminate broadcast of sight and sound surveillance equipment in the designated area."

Relena started, shocked into staring at the screen. Really? Alright!

Her intercom beeped and it took her a moment to remember to push the switch on. "Yes?"

"Miss Relena, Agent Yuy is on his way. And he has… overridden the security system…. For confidentiality… I think."

Relena almost laughed out loud at her poor aid's confusion. "That's all right Dawna, thank you."

Maybe if she sounded like she knew what was going on it would make her feel better.

There was a soft knock on her door and she smiled to herself. "Come in," she called. She remained seated as Heero entered and closed the door behind him. She watched him turn and look at her. Leaning forward she prompted her elbow on her desk and placed her chin on her hand. Smiling at him, she cocked one eyebrow and waited.

Heero's eyes softened to an almost-smile and he nodded. "Vice Minister."

"Agent Yuy." He stepped forward and placed a folder on her desk. "Please have seat," she said still smiling. He sat down across from her. "I noticed that you did something to my security measures."

He blinked at her, "Do you mind?"

"Mind?" she started. "How could I mind?" She lowered her voice and leaned over the desk farther. "Can you _accidentally_ make it stick this way?"

Heero smirked slightly and shook his head no.

Relena relaxed, quietly noting the peaceful atmosphere between them. She hadn't felt this way in a very long time. "It's good to see you again, Heero," she said softly. He let the smirk slip away and looked her in the eye. "Do I get to keep you very long?" she asked, amused at her own choice of words.

"Hn," he nodded to her. "If you don't mind."

She grinned at him, "How could I mind?"

* * *

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." – George Moore

AN: Yes, yes, I know, I did the Heerosecurity guy thing. Well, what else is he going to do, lurk around watering the plants? But two promises I will make here and now: 1) No psycho-ultra-ridged-security-nutjob-Heero. It's so not in his character as I see him, 2) No run-away-I-actually-hate-my-life-Relena either, also just not in her nature. So bear with me and we'll see what happens!

Proofed by: Lisa. Thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Chapter 4

"Representative Omalar Crumbaker. Now he was a twitchy little fellow if I've ever seen one," Lieutenant Jameson muttered.

Heero sat in the Lieutenant's office, situated next to the monitoring command center, located on the second floor of Relena's mansion. It was a small den of sorts that had been improvised to contain a door and glass wall that looked in on the monitor displays. The large desk took up most of the room, leaving only a few bookshelves to cover the walls, most of which were either empty or cluttered, but never normal. A window behind the desk looked out over the expansive backyard.

There were no curtains on the window, and only a green area rug on the floor. There was a single pile of papers on the desk in front of him which steadily grew as Jameson continued to give him things that he thought Heero would need in order to "fulfill his duty." However, the more the man piled on him—and the more he fidgeted—the more Heero suspected that there would be next to nothing of real use to him in those folders and books.

Heero had a notepad opened on his lap and pen in hand but as of yet nothing that Jameson had "recommended" he write down had been worth the bother. He was also noting with greater clarity that Jameson had no lights on in the office. A fact that was becoming more apparent as the sun slowly set.

"But then, you'll figure this all out, you're a bright young lad." The older man twitched his mustache again, a common habit Heero had noted. The red fuzzy appendage was in blatant contrast to the lack of hair on top of his head. It could have been comical if not carried off by Jameson's strong, although restless, physique.

"You're a colony boy yourself, aren't ya?"

Heero nodded to him. His background and history file had been specifically formulated to show that he was born and raised on an L1 colony.

"Well, you'll get all that stuff that I never did. Just not the same up there. Might just be me though. Heck, I was never cut out for space travel and colony living. Guess it's best they did leave me on the ground."

Heero didn't try to comfort the older man. There just wasn't anything he could say to that.

"Huh, well, I've probably taken up enough of your time. You have all of the records you need on your crew? Good bunch they are, good bunch."

He nodded, noting the folders stuck on the bottom of his pile. He would do his own checking on the worthiness of the mission team. But they had been the same for more than two months now, he was sure that meant that Relena would be quite found of them, and vise versa. He was the perfect example of what even a small amount of time spent around Relena Darlian could do to hostile intentions.

Heero took the chance to leave before that thought worked a smirk onto his face. He stood up, shortly thanking the Lieutenant for his time and help, and picked up his pile of items.

"Lt. Jameson," one of house command called through the open doorway between them and the monitoring station.

"Yeah?"

"Miss Relena will be arriving in one minute, Sir."

The older man nodded and waved him off. The younger officer and one of the others left the station, presumably to meet her at the door and escort her inside. That left one to watch the monitors and keep communication with the two others patrolling the grounds.

Heero watched the two men leave, not sure what to feel. When he had first learned the extent of the security measures surrounding Relena he had been pleased with their thoroughness. However, a larger and larger part of him was beginning to empathize with the sheer lack of privacy for her.

During their first meeting Heero had been true to his orders and asked her about the security protocols and personnel she was around. She had immediately confided that she felt imprisoned more than she really felt safe, but had just as easily stated that she understood, and was thankful for, the concern of so many people.

It was like her. He'd known that she would tolerate any amount of inconvenience if it made those around her feel better about her well being.

It was tragically humorous.

"You've met with Miss Relena since you've been here, haven't you?"

Heero nodded, turning back to the other man.

"I've never known a finer girl." Lt. Jameson stood and paced over to the open doorway, watching a display monitor that showed the outside driveway, and the unsuspicious car that was pulling through the front gates.

He stood behind the man, gazing at the same monitor and thinking basically the same thing. "Hn," he agreed. Looking to the back of the older gentleman Heero took his seat again. "There is something that I think I should make you aware of."

Jameson turned back to him a bit surprised, but he nodded and walked over to shut the door before they continued, turning on the overhead light as well. "No use in being discreet with me, son, out with it."

He let the other man take his seat behind the desk again. "On my first meeting with Miss Darlian, it was part of my interview to ask her about the security efforts in place for her."

The other nodded, "There's been a lot of changes lately."

"Miss Darlian appreciates all of the efforts made for her safety. But, she seems very… uncomfortable with the constant attention."

Jameson frowned at him, obviously a bit confused. "I am sure that it was difficult for her during the renovations made on the house," he waved a hand around. "It was very difficult to work on a project like this while she was still living here."

Heero looked the other man in the eye. "I'm not sure Miss Darlian thinks that she actually _lives_ here anymore."

The other started, staring openly at him. "What exactly are you getting at?"

Heero looked down and shook his head. "I'm not suggesting anything now. But I will be continually reviewing the necessity of such… harsh security measures. At the moment, Miss Darlian's recent abduction is still fresh." He looked up at the other man again, "But if she is uncomfortable with these arrangements, we will not operate against her will."

"You're kidding?"

Heero narrowed his eyes, fixing him with a very pointed expression.

The other leaned back in his chair and turned away. Staring at the monitors in the other room he sat still a moment. "I suppose there's nothing I can do about that either is there?"

It was a bitter statement, and he knew it. "No."

Jameson's jaw tightened under his bushy mustache a moment and then he sighed. "You're the Special Agent."

Heero nodded, knowing that when the time came Jameson would be the strongest opponent to relieving some of the security force. Until Heero believed that Relena would be safe without such measures, he would leave things as they were. All he needed to control now was the threat to her during her travels.

The two officers re-entered the command center to monitor the computer sensors, denoting that Relena had been safely ushered through the front doors. Heero took the chance to take his leave. He again picked up the stack of papers and folders.

Jameson again thanked him politely for his time and wished him well with the team. Heero nodded, "I will be in touch."

"As will I," the other mumbled after him as he left the office.

Heero walked away with the feeling that it hadn't gone well but didn't allow it to bother him. His mission was Relena's well being, both physical and mental, as far as he was concerned.

"Agent Yuy?"

Heero stopped next to the staircase and turned back to see Lt. Jameson exiting his office.

"Miss Relena has requested to talk to you if you have the time."

Heero blinked, figuring one of the officers from the command center must have told her he was here. He somehow felt… sordid at being caught in her house. "Hn."

"She'll be in the downstairs sitting room." He pointed down the staircase and over to his right. "Down the hall, first door on the left."

Heero nodded; the directions unnecessary. He knew the blueprints probably better than the officers sitting in the monitoring station. Having a legitimate security clearance had its advantages in ease of access.

He was a bit uneasy at meeting her in a monitored room though. In their "confidential" meeting Heero had impressed upon her that no one outside of the few Preventer agents that already knew them were to learn that they had much of past relationship—more specifically, that he had been a Gundam pilot. Heero had left his short time at St. Gabriel's school in his history file. When questioned, he would answer that he knew her vaguely during his three week stay there before the school was closed. It gave him an edge of credibility and also the advantage if he happened across one of her old friends.

Keeping this name had its disadvantages.

He walked calmly into the large room. The fireplace was crackling lightly in the corner next to the door, and he found her seated on one of the couches across the room, facing the doorway. She had her feet curled up under her with a book in her lap. Knocking lightly on the door he got her attention.

She looked up and smiled politely, standing up to greet him. "Agent Yuy, please come in and have a seat." She motioned to the couch across from her.

He took a seat on it and set the papers down beside him. "You wished to see me, Miss Darlian."

"Relena, please," she said off-handedly. She sat down as well, picked up a mug from the coffee table between them. "Can I have anything brought for you?"

He shook his head and waited for her to continue, relaxing with the knowledge that she was easily keeping his secret. He shouldn't have doubted.

"Agent Yuy—"

"Heero, please," he mimicked.

She smiled, genuinely. "Heero, I have a change to my schedule that I would like to make." She picked up a folder and planner from the table and flipped through them. "Officer Collin informed me that you were meeting with Lt. Dave, so I thought I could avoid troubling you at the office if I caught you before you left tonight."

"No trouble," he mumbled.

She smiled again, finally finding the sheet she was looking for. "I have been offered an invitation to visit a friend of mine for the unveiling of his new building project," she said handing over the sheet to him.

Heero took it and noted immediately whom she was talking about.

"He and his crew have been the most instrumental part in the building of the new L4 Colony 19979. The official opening will be during my conference with the collective L3 Representatives, but he offered me the chance to see it before that."

"Quatre Raberba Winner," he read. Heero held back the smirk. Relena had perfectly executed the conversation so that there would be no surprised or recognizable reaction to what she was asking him for, giving him time to read the name for himself. The gesture was unneeded, he would have been able to control his expressions, but it relieved the idea that it would be difficult to hide his past.

"Yes, I have met with him on a couple of occasions, and I believe he still holds a full 5 point security check." He nodded. "I would like to be able to leave two to three days early for colony 19979, and then proceeded from there to the conference."

Heero nodded to her again. "That seems probable. I will give you a final answer Monday."

She nodded to him, "Thank you, that will be fine."

He stood up, adding the paper to his stack, "Good evening, Relena."

She stood as well, extending her hand to him. "Good evening, Heero. It is nice to have you with us."

He shook her hand gently, knowing she meant that. He nodded and then quickly let himself out.

* * *

"The easiest kind of relationship for me is with ten thousand people. The hardest is with one." – Joan Baez

Proofed by: Melika Elena. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

"Manifestations"  
By: Isis  
Chapter 5

The private landing area for the Preventer air base was relatively quiet. For early morning Saturday, he supposed it should be. Heero stood in front of a small passenger space plane, one of five specifically used by the Preventers forces. It had no special markings on it and would pass for any private carrier's plane, which was its job. Only the inside electronics and cockpit instruments were different from any other passenger aircraft. That, and the fact that these planes housed the most sophisticated tracking equipment at the disposal of the ESUN government.

This plane, 004, had been reserved for Relena's mission. Its tracking ID was being checked at the moment by base command and the exterior was being scanned for any foreign objects that could have been planted on it during its time in the hanger next door. Two of his team members, Alli Carver and Ry Noland, were on the sweep team, checking over the outside equipment and systems. Inside, the last member of his team was preparing for flight, their resident pilot Delano Ather.

Alli Carver was not only the "token female" as Ry often referred to her as; she was specifically selected by Lt. Jameson for her position with the team. She had grown up in an L2 colony and had joined a small alliance as the result of the war. As far as her report said she had been selected as a tactical officer, basically used at communications. She had never really seen battle as the group disbanded when the White Fang began its own recruiting. However, she had managed to obtain some experience to match her high degree in political science.

It was no accident that she was placed with one of the female politicians. So far, she seemed worth her weight as a political analyst. However, her worth as a bodyguard worried him a bit. He casually glanced over the tail fin to where she was monitoring the progress of the equipment.

Physically, she was petite but strong, which gave her great agility and speed. Her weapons training showed that she was a good marksman and could handle herself in a firefight. However, her stature wasn't inclined to hand-to-hand confrontation, a fact that registered in her file as having just passed her combat exam.

Were it any other member of the team, he probably wouldn't have worried about it. But as the only female, she was inclined to be the closest member to Relena during certain times. He had two decisions that he could make in good conscience, and only one left her on the team.

He had found the chance to ask her about the situation at their introduction meeting, and she had been more than willing to agree to his plan of additional training in her weak areas. Although, he thought she was just a bit discouraged when she learned she would be training with him. But it didn't matter, knowing that she could handle herself in an unarmed situation during those times couldn't be helped.

Times that including sleeping arrangements. Heero would admit that he was rather exasperated with the quantity of work put into quartering arrangements by his predecessor. But thankfully, due to their previous training, they all knew the routine. Where a suite was allowed, Relena and Alli would share the space, surrounded by the other officers in adjacent rooms, and one directly across the hall, which was usually his. If not, the girls would usually bunk together, and in rare cases, they would have to have separate rooms.

Heero wondered what exactly Jameson had thought would happen if Relena was left alone in her own room. Upon checking in, the room or rooms were swept for surveillance equipment, chemical agents, foreign entities, ect. The room was then wired with motion detectors on the windows, doors and any other possible forms of entry. Not to mention that Relena carried a tiny "panic button" at all times during her trips, which not only alerted the entire team to a panic situation, but also transmitted the best in tracking technology.

He wondered every once in a while if the President had this much gear strapped to him.

It was slightly irritating that most of the effort put into Relena's safe-keeping was by way of gadgets, instead of by people. She really didn't deserve to be tracked and managed within an inch of imprisonment. He sighed silently to himself and forced down that little over-protective feeling.

He wouldn't change the odd set of rules governing her motions at this point in time.

He did a quick check on the rest of his team; Ather sat in the pilot seat in the front window of the cockpit. He was a tall man, slightly older than the others, in his mid-twenties; he had black hair and eyes, and a brown complexion. Originally he was raised somewhere in the L3 section, although he seemed to have had a very mobile history.

Ather was quiet, but very quick-witted, and rather opinionated when you really pressed him on an issue. The man was certainly more comfortable with machines than with people, developing himself as a pilot and mechanic originally under the Alliance before training to be a MS pilot for OZ. All in all, Delano had very good marks in both mental and physical challenges, and in the time they had spent together he had shown a great deal of respect for Relena.

Noland on the other hand…. The young man hummed to himself as he scouted out the other side of the plane, looking rather weary with the readouts he was watching. Ry Noland was… not as bright as the rest of the team. His test scores showed a certain lack of enthusiasm on the part of academic study. However, what he lacked in brains he did make up for in weapons and physical competition.

Ry had apparently been a professional wrestling and boxing champion, lying about his age at the start of the conflicts. He had never taken a side before the war's end—at least not one that was found in his file—but was easily accepted into the Preventers ranks during the first recruitment process. He had bounced around a couple different assignments, always completing each to specification, before requesting the transfer to Relena's team.

Apparently he was following Alli, who he had worked with before in a previous tour of duty. The young man was a couple of years younger than her at nineteen, but he was miles away from her on the maturity scale. Probably why she didn't seem to return the affection.

Heero had read several notes in Jameson's handwriting that the two may need to be reassigned if their relationship turned romantic. He figured he would deal with the two if and when that time came. He had seen nothing in either of them that would indicate that they would allow their… bickering to interfere with their work. If he did, there would be changes.

The four of them would be accompanying Relena to Quatre's new colony site. Her aid and the other attendees of the conference starting on Tuesday in the L3 sector would arrive on their own accord with the President. In the mean time, Relena was on a mini-vacation.

Heero kept an eye on the readouts from the sweep equipment as the two officers moved over the ship. The data pad in his hand read density, consistency and scanned for variations of height or mass. It also searched for foreign communication equipment or signals.

A group of footsteps was heard coming up from behind him and Heero turned to acknowledge Relena and the three officers that accompanied her. She had a long brown coat wrapped tightly around her in the morning cold, the wind wiping it around her knees. She blinked quickly against the cold air as she and the officers hurried over to the small protection of the wing.

"Good morning, Agent Heero," she called as soon as they were within earshot.

"Hn." He nodded at the officers who quickly stashed her luggage inside, and said their well wishes for a safe trip, then exited back to the base.

She walked up next to him, setting down her carryon bag and dug her hands into her coat pockets. "Lovely day to fly," she mumbled. The wind caught a lock of her hair that had slipped out of the warmth of her coat and flipped it into her face. Her nose was pink, and her eyes were still teary, stung by the wind-chill.

"Go on inside, we'll be ready in a minute."

She picked the hair out of her mouth and smiled at him. "I'll do just that," she nodded and headed toward the open ramp.

Heero returned to the monitor in front of him with an almost unnoticeable smile on his face.

* * *

Finishing up the outside inspection Heero had entered the shuttle and waited for the other two to come aboard. Relena had taken a seat in the front row next to the window and had picked a folder out of her carryon to look through. Ather was in the cockpit rechecking preflight and wasting time until they were taxied out to the runway.

Heero stowed the monitor and his outside inspection gear in the appropriate place in the back of the plane and was securing some of the larger equipment when Alli and Ry raced up the ramp at a dead sprint. His instincts kicked in full force as they raced through the hatch and into the plane. He dodged out of the way of the two hurried bodies and primed himself against the opposite wall to push off toward the attacker that was obviously right behind them.

"Out of my way, Alli."

"Not a chance this time, Noland!"

"I called it!"

The cries and obvious hurry to enter the cockpit area instead of mounting a front to an invading party, alerted him that perhaps he had gotten mixed signals from the two officers. Still, Heero quickly reached the entranceway and did a complete sweep of the outside area, none of which showed any sign of a threat.

He turned towards the front of the plane again and watched the two struggle to fit through the doorway together. A bit confused he closed down the hatch and drew the ramp up. Relena must have been more used to the sight, considering she was quietly giggling at the pair as she stood up to take off her coat.

The door automatically shut behind the last two members of his team and Heero was alone in the passenger cabin of the plane with a still giggling Vice Minister. She shook her head at them and tossed her coat back to the second row.

"Don't worry, they aren't always this bad," she mumbled, nodding for him to join her up front.

He looked from the door to her and sighed silently. Maybe he should have recruited his own team after all.

She laughed again, taking her seat and fastening the belt. "You'll have to watch those two. They aren't quite as _professional_ as Del… or you," she looked back pointedly.

Heero blinked at the reference a moment and then made his way up front.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for flying Preventer passenger plane 004, where your safety guarantees our jobs!—Ouch. Um… please fasten seatbelts and enjoy your flight!"

The inter-plane speaker clicked off and Heero stood still in front of the cockpit door. A round a giggles came from his right and he couldn't help but glance over at her. She looked up and composed herself. "I'm afraid Ry does this every time."

Looking back at the door he mentally berated himself for leaving her in the charge of these…. Closing his eyes Heero reminded himself that he had dealt with worse.

"Are you sorry you stayed yet?"

He looked down at her, startled by the question. She sat with her elbow on the armrest and her chin on her hand. She didn't seem offended that he didn't respond right away, there was a small smile on her lips as she looked up at him.

"This isn't exactly your type of a mission."

The same quiet understanding turned over in his mind, "My missions are over."

Her eyes softened she nodded slightly. The plane began to taxi out towards the runway strip and Heero resisted the impulse to pull Delano out of the seat and do it himself.

Instead he sat down next to Relena and fastened the seatbelt. She reopened the folder in front of her and then reached down to push her bag back towards her feet. The motion caught his eye as he noticed a small patch of fur just visible from the open flap.

He stole a glance at her from the corner of his eye, thinking that maybe that story really had been true.

She straightened again and looked at him. "Thank you Heero."

He blinked at her.

"—Today we will be will traveling extra-planetary to the L4 colony cluster—"

"They know where we're going."

"—Ow."

Heero had to hold himself down to the seat before he decided to injure someone in that cockpit. It wasn't until he felt a hand on his arm that he turned back to find Relena barely containing her giggles. Shaking her head she leaned over to him with a wide smile. "Thank you for putting up with us."

* * *

"Colonies seem a lot… bigger when they're empty," Relena mumbled, timidly looking over the edge of the catwalk between the elevator and the Operations office, which hung from the "ceiling" of the colony structure.

Quatre stood beside her, pleasantly being the tour guild for the group. "Now Miss Relena, don't tell me you're afraid of heights."

She glanced up at him weakly, "Well, I didn't think I was…."

He chuckled in good humor and offered her an arm to help her into the office. She laughed at herself and took it anyway.

"Boy, you're not kidding," Alli mumbled, glancing over the edge. Her braided black hair fell over her shoulder and hung over the guardrail of the walkway.

"Don't worry dear, I'll protect you!" Ry announced from behind her.

She whirled on him as he tried to take her hand. "Touch me and you'll be ending this tour early."

Heero sighed quietly from behind the two; maybe he should have volunteered himself to close up the ship instead of Delano.

"Please, don't mind the mess," Quatre apologized as they entered the ops building. "Still of lot of systems that need to be double checked and maintained." He led them into a comfy sitting room in the center of the building and found them all seats and then excused himself to check on the tea.

Quatre had done a wonderful acting job when they had landed. Relena had been able to relate to him that Heero was joining the team and that the others would know nothing about his past. Quatre had understood completely; after all, he was in no way making his part in the war public knowledge either. He had shaken his hand, easily introducing himself and Rasid Kurama to him.

Ry paced over to the window and looked out, taken in by the place. "You know, eighteen years and I've never been up here before."

"Neither have I," Alli said joining him at the window. "You never really think about all the stuff up here when you live down below."

"Miss Relena, you're missing a great view!" Ry sign-songed to her, pointing at the window.

"Yes, I can see it from here," she stated from her chair on the other side of the room.

The group chuckled to themselves. "Agent Yuy, you don't seem all that impressed," Alli piped in.

Heero shook his head slightly, "I've been here before." He'd spent a great deal of time living out of a storage hanger on the ceiling of an L1 Colony before….

"It really makes you realize that you're living in a giant donut, doesn't it?"

The girls laughed at Ry until he apparently figured he needed to defend himself. "Well, I'm serious! Think about it, we're standing on the inside of the hole part, and then you have this big empty space where these little cream filling clouds are, and then you have everybody else living down there towards the outside."

"Do you realize that all of your analogies have to do with food?"

"Alli, I'm trying to explain complicated physics here!" he held up a hand in front of her for silence.

Well, the day hadn't been a waste, Heero had managed to find Duo's lost twin after all.

Relena stood up from her chair and moved over to the one next to him, watching the two bicker about the manufacturing flaws of cream-filled doughnuts. "Well they do make life interesting," she smiled.

"Hn," he favored her with a weary expression that she chuckled at.

She crossed her legs and leaned back sideways on the padded chair, propping her chin up with an elbow on its arm next to him. "I like them," she mumbled.

Watching her moves from the corner of his eye, he'd figured that.

"Why do you think the cream filled ones don't have holes? There's no room otherwise."

"They just need to make them bigger, then they'd have room."

"Then how would you dunk yours in your coffee?"

"I'd put coffee flavored cream in the middle."

"What?"

"I need to patent that! That would totally solve all of people's doughnut problems."

Relena leaned in a little closer and whispered, "But I'd understand if you have to reassign them."

He blinked at her expectantly a second before he realized she was kidding. Her humored smile stayed in place as she watched them argue, her profile next to him.

Seeing her truly happy was… something he wasn't accustomed to. Watching her watch the others brought a rather confusing mix of emotions up in him. On one hand, it was… warming almost, to see her happy and out of harm's way. An experience he had really never been around to see before. In all of their history together, he'd seen her through every sorrow a human being could know. But this….

He glanced away, pretending to be following the argument as well. He rolled the feelings over not wanting to let go of them yet. Part of him felt a pang of regret at the thought that it was almost two years before he could see this side of her. But the rest just seemed—well, happy that she was happy.

Maybe… maybe this was what peace really felt like.

"Here we go," Quatre announced himself, cutting his thoughts short. "Enjoying the view?" he asked the other two as he set the tray down on the center table.

"Yes, it's beautiful," Alli stated politely.

"There is an observation platform directly beneath us," Quatre nodded towards the exit door on the right. "You can certainly take a look if you'd like."

"Hey, cool," Ry interjected. The two turned to Heero who nodded quickly and let them leave.

"We'll just be a few moments. Thank you, Mr. Winner."

"Stay as long as you like, Officer Carver."

The two exited and Heero sighed silently to himself.

"Well, they seem fun," Quatre commented.

Relena giggled, nodding. Heero just blinked.

Quatre smiled tightly and shrugged. "Well, while I have the two of you," he pulled a chair over closer and sat down. "I'm happy to see both of you again."

"Hn," he nodded.

"It's a pleasure, Quatre."

* * *

The tour had been relatively finished by that evening and the group sat down to supper with Quatre and a group of the Maguanacs, who were all introduced as the former heads of his mining operations which had made the jump to construction with him. It had been a rather loud meal, but Relena especially seemed to revel in it.

Quatre knew she needed a break from politics as well as her own security force sometimes. He had kept up communications with her since the war—especially after her abduction—and had heard all about the new measures put into play. He had been very happy to hear that Heero had not only come back to join the Preventers, but had taken charge of her team.

They both needed a little looking after.

He had arranged rooms for the group in his house; one of only a dozen or so that was actually completed on the slowly finishing colony. But he was up early to check on breakfast and to just look over a few things that needed some attention before the opening.

There were quiet steps on the stairs that he picked out against the coffee machine's whirl. He was trying to ease some of the old instincts but they still had their uses.

Taking a chair by the window in the dinning room he waited for Heero's entrance. When he did he nodded to him, the other former pilot knowing he was already there. "Good morning, Heero," he said quietly, figuring no one else was up quite yet.

"Morning."

"Coffee?"

The other nodded and he filled a couple of mugs, then nodded towards the outside patio. Heero following him out into the back area and picked a spot against the cement ledge.

"You seem well, Heero."

The other nodded, "You too."

He smiled, setting his cup down on the ledge. "I'm doing pretty well these days." Glancing around at the large courtyard enclosure he felt a swell of pride in their accomplishments. "This project has really been good for me… good for all of us actually," he corrected, thinking of the team of Maguanacs.

"I understand."

Glancing sideways he could see the barest trace of a smile on Heero's face. Of course he understood. Better than even his friends here did….

"I didn't really expect you to join up with the Preventers," he ventured quietly.

Heero gazed down at his coffee cup and nodded slightly. "It's the only useful place for me."

Quatre smiled but held back the chuckle. "The placement with Miss Relena wasn't Commander Une's decision, was it?"

He looked up at him with a bit of surprise as Quatre tried to hide the smile behind a fist. The other blinked and let out a small sigh before shaking his head. Staring back into his cup he nearly whispered, "She asked me to stay."

Quatre was a bit taken off guard by the confession. Why, he wasn't sure. After all, why wouldn't Miss Relena have asked for him to stay, and why shouldn't Heero have accepted. And surely he should have expected it to affect him as much as it apparently had…. "I think I understand," he said instead, shaking the list of thoughts out of his head.

Heero didn't say anything else, and Quatre didn't figure he would. For all of his friend's sage advice about following your emotions, he wasn't that good at it. Or, more probably, he just didn't understand himself enough to sometimes. In truth, none of them were very good at life in general. It was something that got put on a shelf when you were surrounded by as much death as the five of them had experienced. It was just something pretty to look at from time to time….

"Quite a project, Quatre."

Apparently Heero had revived from his thoughts before he had, and Quatre quickly dismissed the images. "Well, thank you, but it wasn't just me," he smiled.

Heero nodded, looking out over the courtyard at the few newly completed rooftops that could be seen beyond. "I wondered about that."

He blinked and looked over at his friend. "What do you mean?"

"You have a silent partner that backed a quarter of your end of the project."

He winced slightly and turned back to his cup. "I figured you'd dig that far."

"I was curious."

He chuckled; some level of curiosity. "Did you find out who?"

The other nodded and then turned his head to look at him. "Are you sure that was a wise decision?"

"_I figure I may as well try something different." She paced slowly back and forth in front of Quatre's desk, her arms crossed in front of her. "Although I hate colonies, it might be just the place to reinvent my name."_

"_Why do you hate the Colonies?" Quatre asked, still bit taken off guard by Dorothy Catalonia's abrupt visit._

"_Oh, I deeply admire the spirit of the people, I just hate the place," she reasoned to him._

"_Something about space?"_

_She flipped her knee length hair behind her and folded her hands behind her back, pacing back the other direction. "I am just a child of the Earth is all. If humans were meant to be canned why aren't we food?" she mumbled, stopping in front of the giant bulletin board covered with the blueprints and schematics of the new colony project._

"_If we all stayed on Earth there would be no room for us all," he mumbled from behind her._

"_Is there room to live on the Colonies? All of these perfect little square houses, with their thin walls and paper roofs, nothing but concrete for a yard and the exact same view as all of the rest of your neighbors. Where is the passion of the sunset, and the thrill of the changing seasons?"_

_Quatre blinked at her back. "It isn't all the same. Every person that comes here brings something different. That's the way of colony life, you focus on the inside."_

_Dorothy turned and looked at him with a smile of challenge on her face. "That is because there is nothing to see outside." She waved one hand vaguely about before re-crossing her arms and pacing towards him. "But that doesn't matter. My opinion has never stopped anyone from living here. After all, what good will my investment be if no one comes?"_

_She perched herself on the side of his desk, crossing her legs under the short white skirt that she wore under the long-sleeved purple sweater. He gave her a nervous laugh and shrugged. "I guess we will wish for the best."_

"_Wishes are only for things that one doesn't expect to actually happen." She leaned in closer to him and looked him straight in the eye. "I never wish for anything, Quatre."_

"She was rather persuasive," he said instead, smiling tightly.

"She always is."

Quatre shrugged; picking up his cup he tinked it against Heero's. "Women," he saluted with a laugh, taking a sip.

* * *

"The saying "Getting there is half the fun" became obsolete with the advent of commercial airlines." – Henry J. Tillman

"'Stay' is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary." Louisa May Alcott

Proofed by: Melika Elena. Thank you.


	6. Story Arc Chapter 1

AN: This is what I will refer to as a "story arc." Basically that means that if you don't want to read it, it won't affect your understanding of the overall story too much. However, I kept getting these ideas in my head, and I've learned that it's dangerous to not let them out! So if you are not a fan the 4xD pairing, feel free to ignore any other arcs that come up along the way. :)

"Manifestations"  
By Isis cw  
Story Arc, Chapter 1

"Dorothy, I wasn't expecting you… as usual," Quatre smiled.

"Surprise is one of the few great advantages left to us." The platinum blond walked slowly up the ramp towards his office, the difference in gravity on the "ceiling" of the colony causing her hair to waft after her more than normal.

"Well, you picked an excellent day." She paused as she came directly beside him, nearly brushing shoulders on the wide walkway. "Miss Relena accepted my invitation to visit."

She actually showed a bit of surprise before smiling. "She's a little early for the un-veiling."

"She has a conference with the L3 Representatives this week."

"Ah," she cocked her head to the side, "well I suppose we can forgive her." She continued to the operations building without seeing if he was going to follow or not.

Quatre tried to smile through the displaced expression and slowly went after her. Once inside she set down the briefcase she had with her and removed the light jacket that she wore over her yellow sundress.

"How is Miss Relena these days?" she asked without looking back to see if he was in the door.

"She seems well."

"Does she grow weary of playing the world's savior?" she asked coyly.

"I don't think she _plays_ at anything."

"Oh, but she does," Dorothy whirled around to face him. "Politics is always a game, a beautiful chess match of wits."

Quatre simply stood where he was; he knew better than to interrupt her when she was being poetic.

Smoothing out an eyebrow with one hand she sighed, closing her eyes. "But Miss Relena does such a good job. She has manipulated the pawns just as she needs. Truly a master player."

"Dorothy, Miss Relena does not manipulate people."

She walked over and looking him in the eye. "We are all manipulated by our emotions, Quatre. And we never concoct our own; it is up to outsiders to do that. And who better than our trusted leaders?" she smiled. "Always be wary of those in power: they will form the people."

"I think she has done a wonderful job with her 'power' over the people," he replied defensively.

"Of course she has!" Dorothy was taken aback. "Just because she has the power to influence does not mean that she has used it badly."

He sighed, giving up trying to follow this conversation. "Do you think of anything without seeing a conspiracy?"

"Sometimes I try," she mumbled, turning back towards the outside door.

Quatre smiled to himself as she purposefully brushed passed him, her hair barely sweeping his side, and again followed her as she headed towards the elevators.

"Do you think she will be happy to see me?" she sing-songed, lacing her fingers behind her as she walked.

"I'm sure she'll be… surprised."

"Ah, yes, I suppose the silent partner should also be the blind partner. Perhaps I should not greet her," she stopped, tilting her head.

Quatre stopped behind her. "I'm sure she would want to see you."

"Are you sure? I'm really not. We didn't part on the best of terms last time we crossed paths. I suppose I made a habit of that," she giggled and swirled around to face him. "But perhaps I would like to meet with her." She nodded to herself, then turned and continued her trek.

Quatre sighed and slumped his shoulders. For some reason it was really draining to have a conversation with the Lady Catalonia. Remembering something he quickly caught up with her as she opened the elevator hatch. "Dorothy, I have to prepare you for something though."

"Oh? Do tell," she stated as she began the elevator's descent.

"Miss Relena has a security team with her."

"Yes, I have heard."

Quatre licked his lips and gave a weak smile. "Heero Yuy is now her team commander."

And Dorothy's eyes lit up, "Really? Oh what fun…."

"Dorothy." She looked up innocently and batted her lashes at him. "Heero has specifically buried his past. He is only a Preventer Agent to the rest of his team. He will not appreciate it if his secret is let out," he specifically warned her.

She gave him a sour expression and faced forward again. "I simply don't understand the desire you all seem to have to hide your heroic identities," she mused.

Quatre swallowed and closed his eyes a moment. "There is nothing in that past that needs to come with us."

"Isn't there?" She turned and brushed against his side. "Is there nothing you learned that you wish to retain?"

He turned to regard her, a bit surprised. "Of course there are some things, but there are others that," he paused, "need to be forgotten."

"Your sacrifices should never be forgotten." She narrowed her eyes as she moved to stand directly in front of him. "Sacrifices that even you should never forget."

Quatre stared openly at the woman in front of him, surprised by berating.

Quickly though her expression softened back to her usual, confident smirk. "There are things in heaven and earth that must remain fresh, cuts that never heal. If we allow these memories to be lost… we will still lose the war."

"Are you still fighting, Dorothy?" he asked quietly, knowing that she had her own nightmares.

She closed her eyes and smiled. "That is my job as a witness."

He smiled softly back at her, "You were quite a bit more than just a witness."

Giggling she looked up at him and flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "I was present only as someone expecting a good show."

Quatre was sure he knew better. "Why did you choose to come to space? I know you're not particularly fond of it," he ventured. He'd never been able to ask before. Actually, nothing of their actual past had arisen before during her random visits or their short-lived business transactions.

"It was a stage that I could dance on. Mr. Treize had no place for me on his side." She paced around to face the doors again quietly, possibly avoiding his gaze.

"That's it?" Quatre was incredulous. "You just picked the most convenient place and fought there?"

"Of course."

Quatre tried to say something but nothing came out. As usual, this woman had totally confused his sense of normal human interactions….

She turned to him with a slight smile, "How did you choose which side to fight on in the last battle, dear Quatre?"

"What?" he started. "We decided that the _Libra_ was the most dangerous entity, no matter what, it had to be destroyed."

"There now, how is that different from my reasoning?"

"Because we… I mean, we specifically… I…" he faltered completely and stepped back to lean against the back of the elevator. "I need a score card."

Dorothy laughed merrily, crossing her arms behind her back.

Quatre sighed, the implications of what she had just said working through his mind. She was right, the Gundams had no reason to really choose to battle for either side. In truth, they hadn't. Except for Heero, the pilots had decided to take on the biggest threat to space. Not because of what side they were on, but because _Libra_ could do the most damage to anything in its path.

Who really knew if anyone was on a side at all during that miserable ordeal?

He looked over to Dorothy again—standing quite content with their exchange—in front of him. She was easily one of the strongest people he knew, but Quatre also knew that she had a past that she wanted to hide too.

The elevator kicked in its breaking systems to slow it as it passed the halfway point. He stepped up next to her again feeling oddly comfortable with her silent reflection. She may be able to confuse the crud out of him, but she did always make him think.

* * *

"If you can't convince them, confuse them." – Harry S Truman

AN: I never really saw them as having any significant sort of relationship until I started playing with this. I just love Dorothy, wicked eyebrows and all. And they are just so opposite, yet so perfectly alike that… well it totally reminds me of HxR. Yet another wonderful compare/contrast given by the fantastic GW writers. :)

But this fic didn't start out with an additional coupling so, like I said, if you don't want to read these I will clearly mark the arc chapters.

Proofed by: Melika Elena. Thank you.


	7. Chapter 6

"Manifestations"  
By Isis cw  
Chapter 6

"Well, that wasn't very eventful."

At the end of a near weeklong conference, Relena was usually a little more enthused about the topic. However, she had yet to learn anything she didn't already know or suspect about the L3 cluster.

"No kidding," Ry commented, plopping down beside her in the plane again as her assistant Dawna and Alli made their way in. "The most interesting thing they said is that they produce all of the oranges in space."

"Yeah," Dawna commented from the left row, "let's hope that food colony doesn't spring a leak like their new one did."

"Slow uncontrolled atmospheric depressurization," Alli corrected.

"Yeah, sounds like the same thing to me. One big 'Oops,'" Ry snickered.

Relena laughed at the group as they settled their gear and luggage. Del made his way into the cockpit and began the pre-flight. Causally she took an inventory of the plane, frowning a bit. They should have been one aid heavier on the way back, but they were now missing an agent.

Tapping Ry on the shoulder next to her, she leaned over. "Where's Heero?"

"Uh, something about finalizing his report with the command center," he shrugged at her. "That's definitely why I don't want to become an agent." She giggled at the thought, which only made him frown. "What? You don't think I could do it? Hey, I'll take on any of those agents you got, any time!"

She laughed again, simply patting him on the shoulder, not wanting to really burst his ego bubble.

"I'm serious! I just don't want to be promoted because then they'd have to take me away from you," he blinked at her and did his best "cute" face.

"Where's my agent when I need him," she mumbled.

"Hey!"

A second later an empty water bottle bounced off the side of his head. "You leave Miss Relena alone over there."

"What did I do?" he complained to a rather feisty Alli, and a giggling Dawna.

"I heard that, the poor woman is just begging for someone to make you to go away." She placed her hands on her hips and stood beside the cockpit door. "You'd better behave, I bet Agent Yuy wouldn't hesitate to reassign you to somewhere dark and cold if she asked him to."

"Hey, I'm not the one he feels the need to re-train on this team."

She rolled her dark eyes, "That's just because you're hopeless."

He gaped at her until he finally stood up and faced her, looking down the seven or eight inches in height difference. "Listen here, petite, you can't talk to me like that."

"Really?" she asked, totally unimpressed. "Why is that?"

"Because, I can't hear anything—" he pushed open the door to the cockpit and stood solidly in the middle of it, "—from behind the door!" he announced, closing it on her before she could intervene.

"Of all the obnoxious, rude, egotistical, slime-ball jerks!" she yelled at it anyway.

Relena stood up and placed her hands on the other's shoulders and led her towards where Dawna patted the seat beside her. "There, there," she mumbled, "you come right over here and tell Aunty Dawn all about the mean ol' man."

Alli glared at her and then sat down, crossing her arms. "Which one do you want me to start with?"

Relena saw Heero enter the back of the plane and begin to stow his luggage. "Heero," she nodded to him, as he nodded back.

Alli apparently missed the reference. "Oh he's annoyingly quiet and _stony_, but at least he—" Relena kicked her foot and gave her a quick warning look. Alli got the hint and jumped to her feet. Turning she almost sprinted down the aisle towards him. "Agent Yuy! Need some help with that?"

He looked up at her from the storage bin and blinked. "No… thank you," he added, when her rushed enthusiasm wasn't daunted.

"Oh, alright then. Um, we should be ready to leave at your discretion, Sir."

He nodded, standing up and moving towards the front; apparently un-aware that the conversation he had walked into was about him.

Relena smiled to him and then went back to her seat. He opened the cockpit door and left the girls to themselves for a minute. Which made the whole the plane burst out laughing.

Alli wilted into the seat next to Dawna and slumped backwards. "Oh, don't ever let me do that again," she moaned.

"Yeah, he doesn't seem the type to take a joke that well," Dawna mumbled.

Relena lifted a finger to her lips and tried to shoosh them between laughs.

* * *

"You may actually want to stay in here, Yuy," Ry advised as he turned to leave.

Heero looked back at him for an explanation and the two other team members exchanged a look.

"There's no telling what you're going to hear back there with the girls," Ry continued.

Both men chuckled and Delano shook his head. "There's a reason I'm a pilot, and that's it."

Heero looked at them both a bit oddly but shook his head. "I'll keep that in mind."

He opened the door again, only to find the three women all flushed and laughing. When Relena composed herself to look up at him, he mumbled, "We'll be leaving shortly," and closed the door again.

"Told ya."

* * *

"The team's fine," Heero mumbled a response as he typed away.

"I imagine Miss Relena will be happy to get back to the Colonies with you."

"Hn."

Sally Po slumped back in her seat across the desk from the younger agent. Apparently frustrated with the amount of information she wasn't getting from him. Well, her interrogation tactics needed work.

"I didn't figure you for the bored bodyguard type," Wufei commented from behind him as he watched each code crack Heero tried fail.

"Hn." Heero didn't feel the need to justify his actions as an agent with the two of them. If anything, it was easier to deal with his group who knew nothing of his past. After a month of Sally implying things about Relena, and Wufei mumbling about his weak choice of assignments, he may have to transfer to a different office.

"I've worked through the typical backdoors already. Someone didn't want this to be easy," Wufei moved on, continuing with the task at hand.

Heero nodded as he tried the last two password cracks that he could think of. "This isn't a standard encryption."

Wufei slouched a hip onto his desk next to him and crossed his arms. "Well there are more just like it."

Heero stopped, looking up at him, "How many more?"

"Three others confirmed," Sally added. She stood up to pace over to the corner window, fingering one of her typical braids that draped down either side of her neck.

"We began monitoring for them last week after a routine scan flagged them as suspicious," Wufei closed his eyes to think.

Heero stared back at the message program in front of him. It was a short file, probably less than a page worth of text, most likely a letter or instructions. "Where is the origin?"

"L5 Colony 18756, executive offices," Sally offered, leaning back against the sunlit window.

"So far we have noted three different receipt locations. It's a public domain address, so it's impossible to guess the next pickup point."

"What's the timing between messages?" he asked.

"Two to three days," Wufei commented. "It was a pure accident that we tripped onto the first one."

Heero sat back and stared at the screen. It wasn't illegal to encode sensitive material and email it, but something this iron tight was worth the effort of finding out exactly what the material was. "How's Trowa?" he quietly asked.

"Free lancing," Sally smiled.

"And he already has a copy," Wufei finished.

Heero nodded to himself. This was too serious to be let out to the general officer staff. If someone was encoding, and doing that good of a job of hiding it, it was something incriminating. Besides, their own legality would be an issue if this was leaked too far.

The phone on his desk rang, three short peeps, indicating an outside call. Not pausing in his efforts he answered, "Yuy."

"Good morning, Agent Yuy."

Heero finally blinked, pausing his search for a programming language that would open the file. "Vice Minister."

There was a snicker from the corner of the office, and he pinned Sally with a warning glance.

"May I interrupt you?" she asked, a slight giggle at their formal references obvious in her voice.

"Hn." Heero forced himself to close his eyes and give the conversation his attention while his brain worked at the code problem… and so that he could ignore the silently mouthed comments from the other two agents present.

"My meeting with Representative Crumbaker for next week has been cancelled. The Colony has quarantined itself with a virus problem."

"Quarantined?" It wasn't that unheard of for a colony to go into a temporary quarantine if a certain portion of its citizens were infected by an illness. However, it was becoming more and more of an unlikely event as the air systems and treatment facilities became advanced enough to remove viral and bacterial organisms from the returning airflow. Illnesses were almost of thing of the past in the controlled colony environments.

"Yes, they are cutting off most human interaction so to not spread it. Apparently they have gotten a number of high officials on other Colonies sick as well. I think they are trying to save face," she sighed. "But that leaves a couple days open on my schedule next week."

"Hn."

"I was wondering if I could change destinations on you?" There was a slight hesitation in her voice that he picked up on.

"To where?" Regardless of their past relationship, being in this role certainly gave him insights into her that he wouldn't have gained any other way. Her voice patterns were one of them. He was use to her speeches; he had heard more of them then her own aids had. But personal communication was different, subtle, and often completely unspoken.

"Home, actually. I haven't seen my mother in a while. I thought maybe I could take a long weekend."

Home. Heero paused noticeably. Relena had grown up nearly down the street from St. Gabriel's Academy, an area that didn't come with a lot of good memories as far as he was concerned. But he also knew that the area was under normal surveillance, and that measures were already in place for her usual visits there. And, well, it wasn't his job to have personal feelings about the places she visited.

"That can be arranged."

"If it's not too much trouble, of course," she added. Relena was still sitting in a monitored room, and on a usually monitored line, and she was giving him a way out.

"I'll have the team ready, Relena," he added softly. She had a very careful touch with their little waltz, more so than she needed to. He had become more accustomed to the touch of pride that he felt with her, the idea that she would go through this much work for him was… endearing.

He heard the near-silent chuckle from Wufei beside him and very forcefully ignored the "kissy" sound effects coming from near the window.

"Thank you, Heero. I will be sure to inform Lt. Dave so he can turn on the stuffs up there."

The "stuffs" were mostly remote access to Relena's family home's security system so that it could be monitored by the officers stationed at her house here. He didn't know why, but the choice of words may have brought a smirk to his face if he wasn't working down the impulse to use the phone cord as a gag. "That will be fine," he said instead.

The other three on his team had been to Relena's at least once before, if he remembered their records correctly. It would make the mission routine to them.

"Have a good day, Heero."

"Hn." He hung up with out pre-ambles. "I'll stay at this," he commented to the other two, halting their little game.

Wufei nodded and headed towards the door, "So will I. And we need you Friday, Presidential speech."

Heero nodded, he'd already been briefed on the rally assignment.

Sally walked around behind his chair, her smile slightly greasy, and mumbled, "Nice to have you back, Yuy," before she exited with her partner.

* * *

The Presidential speech wasn't an important event; it would be a footnote, at best, in the evening news. The President was making a play for support for an upcoming bill, and the group gathered in the giant courtyard of the Government building was there to voice their agreement.

And if they weren't, well, that was where the Preventers team came in. Uniformed officers, Heero included, stood around the perimeter of the throng of people in chairs in front of the removable stage. Just as many plan-clothed officers mixed in with the people and carried equipment back and forth along the grounds.

Standard procedures.

Heero stood at the corner of the stage, on a second level catwalk set up with lighting equipment and media cameras. On the other side, stood Wufei, just slightly visible to him behind one of the massive spotlight assemblies.

In his ear, status reports as well and vague comments about certain crowd members were heard from the rest of the team. Reports on the roving officers filtered in, as well the information from the infrared security sweeps inside and outside of the protection area.

A fluttering movement of brown caught Heero's eye again as he scanned the crowd.

"Is anyone else noticing the guy in the third row, left?" a voice called in his ear. "Male, Caucasian, 30s, brown trench coat. He's been sitting on pins and needles the whole time."

It was the same one he'd spotted, fidgeting in his seat. The man was there very early to get that close of a seat, and Heero had noted him when he walked in with a portable microphone box in hand.

"He went through as a college recorder, some political professor," another voice from the check-in station answered.

Again the man fidgeted, just enough to seem very uncomfortable with his surroundings.

"Looks like a bad case of hemorrhoids to me," another interjected, followed promptly by a group laugh.

"Enough," Wufei admonished, his appointment as lead on this assignment evident. "Who's closest?"

"Uniform 187, stage corner." A young officer spoke just noticeably to himself from below Heero's vantage point.

"Uniform 74, perimeter left," another interjected from somewhere below.

Heero slowly moved down the catwalk, careful to avoid being seen between the equipment. "Agent 02, catwalk," he identified himself as the second agent in the command chain. "Directly across," he finished as he positioned himself exactly in line on the man in question's left side.

"Yuy, any form of weapon seen?"

"No," he confirmed back to Wufei.

"Alright, surveillance. PCs, who's sitting by him?" A couple of hands around the man reached up to rub their noses at the question, marking them as plain clothed officers. The first was the centurion in the front row, his job specifically to get to the stage and get the President off if anything came to that. The second was four rows behind the suspect, seated next to the center aisle.

They were all too far out. The man was seated in the middle of the row, the flood of people giving him shielding from any direct line of fire. Except for Wufei, himself, and two sharpshooters stationed in the back of the rigging. All of who would make it a lethal shot if it came to that.

"Alright, keep him in sight."

The conversations moved on as the speech progressed. Heero stayed in his chosen spot. All other individuals pointed out were out of his range anyway, and the brown trench coat nagged at him.

The man was obviously not an assassin, his moves were shifty and uncomfortable, and he had drawn far too much attention to himself for someone who did this for hire. The man was not following the speech, yet he checked the equipment next to his feet every time the crowd applauded. His movements were shaky, but he was not eyeing the crowd or the officers creating a perimeter around the area.

Something was wrong with him though.

As the President finished his prepared speech and began chatting into the microphone in his own words the crowd cheered him on again. And again the man checked the recording devise… spending longer at it this time.

Heero narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the man's moves. "Brown trench coat, left side, third row," he calmly called in.

"Changes?" Wufei asked.

Heero stared down at the man as he went from the equipment to casually retying his shoe, his movement now… calm. "Suspicion," he answered back honestly.

"Left side, eyes on him. Stage crew, ready for departure."

The President finished with a customary joke, and raised both hands in a wave to the people. As the rest of the row stood up in ovation, the man moved just enough.

"Shooter!"

The yell was out of his mouth even after his feet left the catwalk as Heero used his arms to hoist himself over the side of the railing, dropping to the ground.

He ignored the flying comments in his earpiece as he landed into a one-kneed crouch, thrusting his left hand down he used the counter weight to push off at a dead sprint.

The man had risen after the rest of the crowd and brought both hands just over his head, in a makeshift applaud, but the object nearly concealed in his right palm was anything but a microphone. In a quick move he reached out, pushing the person in the row ahead forcefully out of the way, needing the open space to take aim.

Heero's eyes never blinked as he closed the gap to the edge of the seating area. The only avenue available to him were the vacated chairs between the two as he leapt onto them.

Running full speed down the row of folding chairs he clipped through anyone unknowingly in the way. Eight hazardous strides closed the gap as the man tracked the tiny weapon towards the stage area.

Barreling down, Heero used his speed as he made a grab for the gun with his left hand and launched himself onto the ground beside him, connecting his right fist directly against the other's temple area. The man's head spun backwards with the force and Heero let his body fall away as his own feet fought for stopping balance as they met the ground in the throng of confused people.

The shooter's right hand stayed perfectly upright as Heero's iron-tight grip didn't loosen when the man buckled. Stripping the gun out, he let the man fall, the remaining spectators attempting to flee from the immediate area. By the time the man hit the ground Heero heard three clicks as safeties were removed and weapons trained on the shooter.

He dropped after him, forcing the body face-first onto his own equipment, grabbing both hands behind the trench coat and grinding a knee into the small of his back. He grabbed his handcuffs from the holster under his jacket, and had latched both hands back before he ever checked to see if the man was still conscious.

Without taking his knee away he reached a hand up to check for a pulse and found it racing just under the skin of his throat. But he made no move against him, denoting that the force of the punch was well placed enough to knock him cold.

Heero finally blinked away the fog obscuring the rest of his vision as the screams and pounding of feet brought the scene back into focus. Scanning the stage area he found no trace of the President, and the officers now surrounding him were pushing the crowd back. Holding up the tiny, pieced together semblance of a gun, they backed down, the threat eliminated.

The rest of the officers fanned out to crowd control as Wufei barked out orders in his ear to watch for secondary suspects. Lockdown was being initiated and it wouldn't be long before the remainder of the Government building was emptied.

Hoisting himself up, he grabbed an arm of the suspect and was assisted by another officer to drag the man bodily from the row of chairs. Sally was already next to them as she flagged off two other officers to help their group, hurrying them to the stage's side and to the back exit.

"Congratulations, Heero," she mumbled, rechecking the man's pulse as they quickly slid him over the courtyard grass, "you just made the news."

* * *

"I do think that we could easily call a council meeting to cover the repair issues. I would offer my services as well if you feel it would help you."

"I would appreciate that, Vice Minister. And if we could go through—"

The door to Relena's office burst open as two uniformed officers rushed. She blinked at them as they hurried to her side, one motioning for her follow them.

"Uh… Representative, we seem to have a situation," she turned back to the video display. "I will contact you again when I am able." The other blinked and then nodded. She didn't give him the chance to say a formal goodbye as she cut the connection. "What's going on," she asked rising from her desk and allowing the two men to lead her out of the room.

"There has been an attempt on the President, Ma'am. We are to secure the building and remove personnel."

Around the floor she could see other officers rounding up and removing aids and members of the cabinet to the stairway entrances. She quickly followed along. Turning down the hall she found Dawna pressed up against a wall out of everyone's way. Seeing her, the aid quickly latched an arm around hers and the two made their way down the emergency stairs with the guard force.

They were rushed down four stories to the basement where they were quickly led through the underground escape tunnels to the Preventer building across the street, and into the bomb shelter safety rooms. This was the first time that she had actually needed to see the inside of this secret route.

Fighting through the eerie murmurs of the remainder of the government officials they immerged into the much brighter lit Preventer holding area.

"Miss Relena!" Ry's tall figure was seen over the rest of the crowd, and she and Dawna fought their way through to a side staircase alcove.

"Are you two all right?" Alli asked, pulling them both close and out of the way of the rest of the throng of people.

"We're fine," she said. "What's going on?"

"All we know is that there was an attempt on the President's life at the rally. They've cleared the building on standard procedures."

It was then that she noticed the three were dressed in casual-issue exercise clothes instead of their uniforms, and frowned slightly. "You weren't at the rally, then?"

"No, we weren't assigned," Del added, watching the crowd as if inventorying them.

"Agent Yuy was, he expressly wanted us to find you and stay put," Alli added as the tunnel between the two buildings was closed and locked down, the rush of suits and jackets were slowly filing into any one of seven side rooms.

"Heero was out there?" she asked, feeling a very familiar sense of worry creep in.

The other three nodded. Ry took both of their arms and led them toward the least crowded room behind most of the rest of the rescued officials. "Might as well stay comfy," he mumbled as they entered.

The front of the room showed a television monitor propped up on top of a desk so it could be seen through the room. The individuals already present sat, or stood against the walls, following the live news report. Finding a couple of chairs still left, Ry and Del pulled them to the back and plunked Relena and Dawna down on them, the other three stood behind them, keeping careful watch.

The scene on the TV wasn't much to look at; it was a helicopter feed from above the courtyard area where there was nothing but a large crowd of people very slowly being let through to the parking lot beyond. But all members of the group were glued to it for some sort of explanation. She noted at least two-dozen officers standing around the area, quietly watching as well.

Perhaps everyone was in the dark.

"This is the scene as we see it now. The crowd that had come to hear the speech is being slowly rechecked and rescanned for any and every form of concealed weapon. No one is getting out of the security barrier without proper identification and clear display of innocence in these events. Security here is taking no chances."

The scene cut back to a studio feed and a young reporter flipping madly through her stack of papers. "We have this just in to us now and confirmed by the Preventers Agency here at the Capital. They have confirmed that there was a shooting attempt on the President from a member of the crowd. That attack failed. We have confirmed reports that the President is all right and has not been harmed in any way. He has been taken into safety."

A rejoicing round of yells and clapping was heard around the holding rooms.

"We go live to a statement from Preventers Commander Une at the Government building."

The scene shifted to an outside shot of Commander Une surrounded by media reporters. "I am confirming that there was an attempt on the President's life just moments ago. That attempt failed when our Preventers took down the shooter before any shots could be fired. There is no harm to the President or to anyone else. The suspect is being held and questioned."

A roar of applause was heard as the officers present cheered on their fellow men and women.

"That is all that I can relate at this time." Commander Une cut off the questions as she strode through crowd.

The scene shifted again and the reporter once again reiterated that the President was unharmed. "For those just joining us, we take you back to the footage recorded by our own news crew coving the Presidential speech. Once again, this is pre-recorded footage."

The entire room leaned in as the screen showed the President standing on the stage, waving to the crowd as he began to walk off. From the stage area two uniforms emerged from behind the curtain and another two came running on from the sides.

From the very left of the screen came an agent sprinting towards the crowd of standing observers, as well as two other officers coming up from the side. The camera zoomed in on the President as the officers got to him and bodily blocked him from sight, whisking him behind the curtain, two staying to form a barrier against anyone attempting to flee that way.

The reporter's voice came back as the scene froze. "Our second camera recorded the events in the crowd. Please watch the left side of your screen." The TV reset itself to the beginning of the same clip, but from a different angle.

Ry squatted down behind Relena's chair and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, watching over her head. "Was that just…."

He trailed off, but she nodded anyway. "Heero."

The scene played again, but this time you could plainly see him coming into view on the very side of the screen a few feet above the ground. He dropped to one knee, and pushed off like a sprinter for the seating area. Two other officers then joined the chase, but he was faster by far then the rest. Leaping onto the vacant chairs, the group in the room let out startled gasps as his head and shoulders bolted through the crowd.

They could see his aim, as a woman in the second row collapsed and the man behind her started to track his right hand toward the President who was being shoved off the stage.

In a second they could see Heero meet the man, apparently punching him and knocking him sideways. At this the onlookers around started to flee as the other officers pushed their way through and surrounded the shooter. Through the people there wasn't anything else that they could make out of what happened. In a couple seconds Sally had joined the group and a set of officers with Heero dragged the man out, handcuffed and apparently unconscious.

"That was Yuy," Ry stated quietly from just behind her. Relena blinked away the image, realizing that she had unconsciously clasped her hands over her heart during the playback.

"Wait, where was he?" Alli asked from beside them.

Relena looked up at her and found Del close by, inspecting the film. "The media rack."

She felt Ry's head snap up. "No way. That thing's sixteen feet up."

Delano closed his eyes a moment and shook his head. "Standard setup for the courtyard is two agents. The assignment leader, and the second in command, both are in the lighting catwalk on opposite sides, as well as two sharp-shooters on the other ends."

"In case they need clear shots," Alli added.

"But you don't just jump sixteen feet to the ground and take off like that!" Ry interrupted.

"Well he jumped from somewhere, and that's the only thing around."

The TV went on to repeat the scene. "We have yet to identify the Preventers officer who took down the suspect. All information is sketchy at this time."

"How the heck did he get over the chairs like that?" Ry mumbled.

"He outran everyone else in the area," Delano added.

"But…" Alli paused, wrapping her arms in front of her over the workout tank top. "But his moves are so… calculated."

Relena finally blinked back to herself as she looked up at her. She felt Ry nod against her shoulder. "…Perfect."

Alli shook her head a moment, a strange look to her eyes. "But more… lethal."

That sense of worry in Relena's stomach boiled into fear at the comment.

Alli's dark eyes seemed hooded as she stared at the screen. "I mean, I've trained with him, we all have," she muttered finally turning to look at the other two. "But…" She trailed off and turned back to watch the live report.

Relena finally looked away, her breathing coming shallow and quick. The terms "perfect" and "lethal" were words that she herself had used on a couple of occasions when thinking of Heero. Her knowledge of his true potential was limited; his fighting had been mostly away from her over the years. But she had seen him more than enough times to know exactly how fitting their comments were.

Glancing up, she knew that nothing good could come out of the three of them thinking on those lines. If they learned to fear him… she didn't know what that would mean.

She dropped her hands to her lap again, lacing her fingers together to keep them steady. Finding a tactic, she swallowed. "Do you still want to be an agent, Ry?" she asked, and hoped that she sounded teasing.

She felt him pull away enough to move around and look at her, a weird expression on his face. She gave him a cocky smile and he relaxed into a smile as well. He slowly shook his head, "Maybe I do have a ways to go…."

She forced herself to chuckle at the comment, and glanced up at the others. "Congratulations," she smiled to them. "Your commanding officer just helped save the President's life today."

The three looked at her, mildly confused, before taking a look around at each other and shrugging. "Yeah," Alli commented. "I'd say you're right."

"Humph, I suppose there is a reason he outranks all of us put together." Del crossed his arms and nodded to himself.

"Dang," Ry added, leaning in and wrapping both arms around her shoulders in a backwards hug. "I'm sure glad he's on our side."

Relena nodded to herself, keeping the pleasant smile up and finally taking a long, deep breath. _I'll keep your secret, Heero_, she thought. _But you're not making it easy on me._

* * *

"Friends are just enemies who don't have enough guts to kill you." – Unknown :D

Proofed by: Melika Elena. Thank you.


	8. Chapter 7

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Chapter 7

"War fatigue," the folder landed on the desk with a thud.

"He's been in and out of mental facilities for months now," Sally Po stated as the three agents stood in front of Commander Une's desk.

"No other explanations?" the Commander asked, her chin on her folded hands in front of her.

"None likely," Wufei answered. "The guy was not all there. He smuggled the gun in with a recording device that contained nothing but his own ramblings for why he wanted the President dead."

The other sighed, "Well I can't say that I'm unhappy to hear it's that simple." She rose from her seat and looked them over. "The President wanted me to express his gratitude to the three of you especially. I've managed to talk him out of a public award ceremony, just in case." She turned to regard Heero directly. "I'm sure he will want to make an official thank you sometime though," she smiled.

"That's unnecessary," he stated.

"But it's good for politics," she added.

"Yeah, don't knock it," Sally nudged his side.

"I'm grateful to all of you," the Commander stated. "You're dismissed."

* * *

"At 0700, the decoy vehicle will leave her residence as usual and make the regular rounds to the Government building. Vehicle 01 will arrive to pick up Relena at 0730. Vehicle 02 will engage pursuit at the point designated. This trip does not, and will not, show up on any of her schedules. House command will run regular routines through the weekend. Questions?" Heero paused to look over the group.

"Wouldn't Miss Relena be better off with a majority of us?"

"That would be expected," …and he wouldn't have to deal with any of them for at least six hours during this trip.

"We know you can take care of yourself," Alli added with a wink.

"Ah, face it babe," Ry slithered an arm around her chair back, "we're just meant to be together."

"Permission to walk, Sir."

"Denied."

Alli sighed before inching away from him. "Permission to stick him in the back seat with shielding?"

"Oh, you think a bulletproof, soundproof, airtight bubble is going to hold me, Petite?" he schmoozed.

"Granted."

Alli laughed in victory and Delano breathed a "thank you."

"Conduct will remain the same," he continued.

"I have a recommendation," Delano added, surprising him. "The last time we accompanied Miss Relena home, I think we caused her a lot of unneeded attention."

Alli nodded, "I agree."

Heero blinked at the two of them, waiting for the explanation.

"Four uniformed officers following around one person tends to look a bit out of place," she added.

"Miss Relena loses all efforts at being incognito with us trailing her around in full garb."

Assessing their reasoning was easy enough. They were right; un-do attention would not only give away her cover, but could put her into unforeseen situations. It would also alert the hordes of press and media.

"Agreed. We will switch to a plain clothes operation." The group cheered their approval. "Badges and IDs at all times," he admonished.

"You know, I still say we need to dye her hair and put her in some puffy sweaters and actually get her out of the house this time," Ry grumbled.

"She's visiting her mother, not showing you the sights," Alli shot back.

Heero just closed his eyes.

"Oh come on, she probably hasn't seen the beach in years."

"Something tells me it still looks a lot like water and sand."

"You're so anti-poetic."

"Anti-what?"

"You heard me."

Sigh.

"Permission to walk, Sir?"

"I'll consider it."

"Hey!" He turned to glare at Alli, "Sore looser."

"Whatever."

* * *

"I'm going to have to request to drive more often." Relena was busily staring out the window as they passed down the two-lane, waterfront road. It was only a three-hour drive from the capital to her hometown, which was no accident considering her father had held this position for almost nine years.

"Alli may not be able to take it."

She turned to regard Heero as he easily coasted the car around one of the many turns. She hadn't realized how accustomed she had become to the brown and charcoal uniform on him until he had shown up this morning in jeans and a long-sleeve button-down. "Why is that?" she asked instead, feeling a bit shy over being so cozy with him alone in the car.

"Ry Noland."

She smiled at the comment and giggled to herself. "It's probably good you didn't leave those two by themselves. They'd be in a ditch by now."

He nodded solemnly, eyes still on the road.

"They aren't so bad, once you get use to them," she commented, smiling out the window at the passing scenery.

"Hn."

Relena didn't think that sounded like an agreeable grunt. She looked back from the corner of her eye, trying to read an expression that she knew wouldn't be there. Now and again she slightly worried over Ry teasing, or annoying, just far enough to get himself face to face with a rather pissed off Heero Yuy…. That is, if Heero ever got that outwardly emotional over anything.

"Well, I guess you can't blame the guy for trying," she mumbled instead, decisively not letting her mind wonder in that direction.

"Can't take a hint."

She was a bit surprised by the comment, at least coming from him. But she laughed to herself again and shook her head, thinking about the two. "If he got the hint he'd be trying harder."

Heero actually took his eyes off the road enough to glance at her.

She gasped and then covered her mouth with one hand, knowing it was too late. "I shouldn't have said that," she mumbled through it.

He blinked, "Alli?"

Figuring a secret was probably safer with Heero then it obviously was with her, she removed the hand and smiled instead. "Lt. Dave had a way of…" she stopped and looked over at him, "Well, you've talked to him, the man can't 'veil' anything delicately." He nodded, eyes fully back to scanning the road. "He made comments when they first arrived with the team that he'd be happy to reassign them to a desk job if they let a relationship interfere."

Heero nodded again, and she wondered if Lt. Dave had told him the same thing.

"Well, I think Alli took that to heart. Besides, I think she enjoys the hard-to-get stuff," she smiled to herself.

There was a long pause, and Relena had decided to give up the conversation, before he slowly turned back to her. "…Alli?"

The slightly befuddled look was comical at best. "Yes. What's so wrong with that?"

He blinked at the road ahead and shook his head, saying nothing.

Relena smiled at him, "You guys just don't get it." She turned back to her own window, specifically not watching for a reaction to that, if there was one.

* * *

The two cars pulled into the driveway of the Darlian estate at a quarter till eleven. Relena was the first one out, not waiting for a quick security inspection. Racing up the steps she opened the door and nearly ran over Pegan who was coming to greet them. She threw her arms around the old butler and didn't let go of him until the team had most of the luggage removed from the trunks.

"Forgive me, Miss Relena, but I must help your friends with their things. Besides," he smiled at her and he held her by the shoulders, "your mother is waiting for you in the backyard."

Relena nodded to him, but then led him out onto the front step. The rest of the team was already walking up with luggage in hand. A round of hellos were heard as they slowly drifted inside.

Heero easily hefted both his and Relena's luggage out of the first car and made his way towards the entrance. "Pegan, I'd like to introduce to you Agent Heero Yuy," she said with a sideways glance toward the rest of the retreating team.

"Ah, Agent Yuy, good to finally make your acquaintance."

Heero set down a suitcase to shake the hand the older man had offered. The old companion knew a great deal more about his past than he would have liked, not only due to his stay at Relena's Sanq school. And he was sure that the man wasn't as happy to "finally" meet him as he said he was. "You as well," he stated instead.

"Heero, let me take some of these. I don't need to let you two to do all the work," she stated, successfully breaking the awkward re-introduction.

The two waved her off, and Pegan reminded her that her mother was still waiting. So, with a quick peck to older man's check she left them. Heero managed to make it through the door as well before he was nearly commanded to let the other gentlemen assist him. Nodding, he handed over Relena's things, and allowed the butler to show him into the house, rejoining his team.

"If you would all follow me, please," he announced to them as he mounted the stairs. "I will show you to your rooms."

The entry hall of the Darlian household was large, acting as a meeting place as well a stately lounge or party room with what appeared to be a banquet room through two double door sets along the far wall. Two grand staircases on either side of the room wrapped themselves together on the second floor, creating a semicircle with their banisters.

Heero following along with the others, attempting to seem unknowledgeable of the layout of the house, when in fact, he had studied the blueprints to it nearly two years ago when…. Well, when he had thought it may be of some use to him in order to acquire his objective at the time.

Once they were all shown to their own guestroom, Pegan suggested that they take whatever time they needed to get settled in. Heero, however, didn't let the butler leave after showing him to the last door in the hallway, which he did not believe was by accident.

"I will also need to check in with the security command center."

"Of course, Agent Yuy. I will show you to the operations room." The other man bowed slightly, his gray eyebrows hiding the expression in his eyes.

Heero followed him up to the third floor and into a small room, which had probably started life as a closet. The monitors all showed live scenes from around the grounds and sensors were functional and relaying to Relena's command center.

"Will there be anything else you require, Agent Yuy?"

"Just one thing," he began. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the far wall, allowing Pegan most of the space in the one-man room. The other apparently understood and he nodded as he closed the door behind himself. "I appreciate your help with my cover."

"Miss Relena made it very clear that I was never to reveal anything I may know about you. Now is no different."

Heero looked at him coolly. He hadn't thought of what exactly the butler/confidant had been doing with the knowledge he had possessed all this time. In truth, he had been keeping this a secret far longer than anyone else had. "What you know of my past is not… flattering," he mumbled.

The other smiled tightly. "It does not matter, Agent Yuy. Miss Relena believes in you, and I learned long ago that she has far better judgment of character than I."

Heero blinked at the older man. He wasn't sure what to expect from the beloved butler, but this wasn't it.

The other bowed again, "I will do my best to follow her wishes." He straightened. "If there is nothing else, Sir?"

He shook his head as the other turned and let himself out.

* * *

Once Pegan was gone, he stayed in the command center long enough to set the systems to his specification and change the alarm frequency to his pager.

Leaving, he made his way down the stairs and out one of the back patio doors. He found Relena and her mother, surrounded by Delano and Alli, talking on the main deck. Seeing that the two had already been disturbed, he walked along the house toward them.

Relena sat on a patio bench next to her mother who had a thin blanket thrown over her legs against the slight chill that still hung in the late March air. Mrs. Darlian was a beautiful woman, her hair pinned back into a bun with a high-collared blouse on. If it hadn't been for Mr. Darlian's dying revelation that Relena had been adopted, he doubted anyone would have ever suspected.

The outside door opened behind him and he heard Ry jog up beside him. "Hey, anything we need to set up?"

Heero shook his head to the other as they walked casually up the side stairs to the raised patio. "Mother, you remember Ry," the lady nodded with a smile to him. "And this is Agent Heero Yuy, he's new to my team."

"Welcome, Agent Yuy."

"Ma'am," he bowed to her.

She smiled back to him and he could easily see where Relena's mannerisms came from, at the very least.

"Mrs. Darlian, you've out done yourself on these flowers," Ry commented, being the first to take a seat around the table in front of the two. "They're all green and, well, bushy," he waved a hand around at the patches of dirt, carefully planted with little rows of… 'stuffs.'

* * *

"Where's your mom this morning?"

"She has a tea and luncheon with the church group today."

Ry looked up from his slumped position over the chess pieces in front of him. "So for the other half of us, means?"

Relena finished her move and took one of his knights off the board. "It means she'll be there until some time this afternoon."

Ry picked his chin up off the table enough to look over the board. "That's too bad," he mumbled, sliding a pawn up and taking one of hers. He triumphantly picked it up and set off to the side.

"It's all right, I can't expect her to stop everything when I come on short notice." Relena moved her rook from its place behind where the newly triumphant pawn had sat and slid it down inside his defensives. "Check."

He slumped down, putting his chin back on the table, sliding a pawn out to block his exposed king.

"You are a lesson in futility," Alli noted from the couch beside their game table. She was quietly braiding down the length of her still-wet hair.

"Quiet Petite, or I'll challenge you to a game of basketball."

Alli promptly stuck her tongue out at her partner, and Heero again tried vainly to put his mind back into cross-referencing the company name. So far, with Trowa's timely help, they had cracked the first four messages, and had been rewarded with an average looking financial sheet from a company on the colony in question. However, having the last shift of the night, he was able to get a few hours of source checking done before the others came down.

"Checkmate."

Heero barely succeeded in keeping the smile off of his face.

"Oh, fine. I quit."

"Now how are you going to get better with that attitude?"

"My mother always told me not to have an attitude."

"You had a mother?" Alli piped up.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Heero officially gave up and closed down the laptop. The two slowly moved off, arguing over the idea of manners being a genetic trait. The other three watched them go without attempting to intervene until they began meandering through the bookcases on the far side of the library, possibly in search of an encyclopedia set.

Delano returned to his book, sitting in an overstuffed chair in the corner, and Relena busied herself with resetting the chessboard. The ivory pieces sliding softly against the ornate marble topped game table. Out of sheer abandon Heero stood and walked over to her, taking Ry's vacated seat. "May I?"

Relena looked up, and smiled at him. "Of course!"

She finished out the board, and moved her first white pawn onto the playing field. He matched her first four moves, advancing his little carved soldiers into hers. She smiled ruefully at him, "You could have warned me that you actually know how to play."

"I know how to play," he answered back, a slight drip of humor in his voice.

She chuckled at the comment, removing one of her knights from harm's way. But opening up her left rook to his advancing queen. Taking it off the board, she paused her quick play and tapped her nails against the table. Stealing a look at her, he could see the quick contemplation in her eyes as they scouted out each possible move.

When she reached her decision, she moved her bishop four squares. Without really looking at the board he immediately moved his knight to an outside square, and watched her eyes. Her gaze locked onto that knight for a split second before she moved on, rounding her bishop to her sparse side.

He turned his attention back to the board again and advanced his queen, setting up a strike on her knight again. And again she parried, moving her knight and sacrificing a pawn in its place. A few more moves and she paused as she looked over the board. He noticed the smile creep onto her lips as she contemplated the move.

"I should have expected this," she gave him a small smile, a secret look to her eyes, that he easily matched. "You're being overly aggressive," she observed.

"You're too defensive," he commented, glancing over to his knight that he had purposefully left open to her bishop.

"I thought that was a sloppy mistake," she said, resting her chin against her folded hands.

"You didn't take it."

"Too far out, I would have been pinned there for at least two more moves."

He broke a small, genuine smile as he simply watched her eyes pick over the board in front of her. It was a perfect display of her character, a stubborn defense, unwilling to sacrifice her players for too small of an advantage.

She moved again, resuming her own tactics, and tightening her line against his assault.

"Miss Relena, you never said your mother scrap-booked," Ry's cheery voice broke into the solemn scraping of ivory against marble.

"I'm not sure she does much any more," she said, not looking up as Heero managed to take her last knight from the board. "Dang."

It was another three moves before Heero noted that the other officer had closed the book he had apparently found somewhere in the library, and was now silently watching their match. Well, at least he was being quiet.

Another few moves and Alli had joined them, a book in her hand as well, as she stared down at the table. By the time the board was sparsely littered with the remaining pieces, even Delano had taken a position next to them.

Growing bolder as the board cleared itself out, Relena started to advance a little at a time, fending off his on slot with quick rearrangements. Swinging her last rook down, she captured his knight, and set herself up for a strike on his bishop…. And finally fell for the trap. Dragging his queen up from the back corner he captured the bishop that she had been using as the best defense to her king.

"No!" she squeaked, clamping both hands over his on the board so he couldn't remove the captured piece. "No, no, no, no, no," she whimpered as she wilted forward and put her head on the table.

The rest of the group laughed at her expense, and he couldn't contain the mild chuckle as she tried to wrestle the little piece from his hand one finger at a time.

With a pout she finally gave up and flicked her king just hard enough to teeter the thing over on its side. "I concede," she sighed, trying vainly to give him a hurt stare with the others applauding. He gave her smirk until her expression finally cracked and she started laughing.

"It's all right, Relena, we still love you," Ry patted her on the shoulder consolingly.

"I'm going to have to stick with you for rematches," she said instead, smiling brightly.

"No way!" he backed off. "I'm staying away from you too."

She crossed her arms and slumped forward. "Figures," she mumbled.

"Besides, we have to start counting our fortunes as soon as the paparazzi calls us back…."

Ry and Alli walked off again, reopening the books that they had been carrying. The three watched after them, confused, until Relena gasped and bolted from her seat. A near silent, "Scrapbooks!" escaped before she ran after the two. "No!"

Heero instinctively grabbed the table to steady it as she brushed past at full tilt, managing to save most of the remaining pieces. Turning around, he and Delano watched them argue and run vainly around the room about the offending books. The two exchanged a look, and Del finally shrugged and shook his head, walking back to his reading chair.

* * *

Breakfast was… mortifying, to say the least.

"'Little Relena enjoys peas and fish sticks.' Peas?"

Relena stabbed vengefully at her eggs, taking a bite before she took a bite out of Ry. He sat beside her at the family dinning table with the rest of the team, slowly flipping through the scrapbook, and making comments between bites. Possibly worse was that Alli sat across the table between Heero and Del as she flipped through hers, chuckling merrily.

The other two had enough sense to keep their comments to a minimum, as they acted much less interested then the two instigators. However, it didn't help that Pegan kept popping in and out, easily retelling the stories captured by the pictures. The man had been here far too long.

The blush had worn off a half an hour ago. There was nothing to be done but grin and bear it… and seriously berate her mother for ever having invented these stupid books to begin with.

"We need to time-capsule this one," Alli commented, putting down her orange juice. "'Relena Darlian accepted the award for Junior Leadership Achievement at St. Gabriel's Elementary School today, in recognition of her exemplary skills in academic, extra curricular and service projects.' See, you're a natural!" she winked at her.

"So nice of you to notice," she sighed.

"Is there anything you didn't have 'exemplary skills' in? You've got more trophy pictures than anyone I know."

She gave up on the eggs and instead propped up her chin with an elbow on the table. "Figure skating."

"What, did you get second?" he nudged her side.

"No, broke my ankle."

"Ow."

"Skiing. Fractured my arm."

Ry put down the book and gave her a sympathetic look.

"I also stunk at pretty much anything that involved a ball."

"Ah, not the sports star, huh?" He reached an arm around her shoulders and shook her back and forth in a hug. "Well, that's ok. Dance class was good to you," he commented flipping the page.

"Dance, gymnastics, tap, ballet, drill team, cheerleading—that didn't last long," she mussed.

She stared at her juice glass and let him give her an incorrigible glance. "Is there anything you haven't done?"

She looked over at him and shrugged, "Skydiving."

The rest of the team laughed with her and she felt slightly better with the whole situation.

He flipped on to vacation shots, and Relena mildly paid attention to the images. Her father's smiling face brought back enough happy memories that she didn't mind the invasion of privacy so much.

"Hey, the beach." Ry abruptly closed the book and looked around the table. "I know what we should do today." He looked down at her, squishing her with the arm still wrapped around her shoulders. "Your mother's out, we have most of the day to ourselves, we should get you out for some fresh air!"

All eyes turned to Heero as he mildly set down his juice glass, giving the group a once-over. "No unnecessary risks," he reminded them.

"Now wait. No one knows Miss Relena is here. We can easily disguise her, and no one will recognize the rest of us," Alli piped up.

"Well, maybe one of us," Del added.

"Wait, what?" Ry and Alli stared at him.

He looked up and shrugged. "Well, Agent Yuy has been here before," he mumbled. "Don't you two ever read the files?"

Relena poised herself, sealing away the little fear that the comment brought up.

Heero didn't flinch as he looked over the two staring at him. "I attended school here," he explained.

"At St. Gabriel's?"

He nodded.

"Wait, what?" Ry glanced back down to her. "We're just finding out about this now?"

She blinked up at him. "I didn't realize it was important."

"So…" Alli looked back and forth between the two. "You would have been classmates."

Ry paused, "What?"

The group heard her kick him under the table. "Don't you ever read the files?"

"Well, apparently as well as you did."

"I at least knew they're the same age."

"Really?" He looked between the two again, "Wow, I feel old."

Alli rolled her eyes. "So you two really knew each other, then?"

She shrugged, displacing Ry's arm at the same time. "Somewhat," she answered nonchalantly. "It was only a few weeks before the school closed."

Heero nodded absently, unfazed by the conversation.

"Talk about bad timing," Ry muttered. "But anyway, this is perfect! We've got two people that know their way around, what could possibly go wrong!"

"Agent Yuy, you have to admit that risk assessment on this is very small," Alli chimed in.

Ry elbowed her sharply and she got the point. "Please, Heero?" she added, folding her hands together, more than happy to steer the conversation a different way.

He met her eyes humorlessly, until he finally sighed quietly and nodded.

She smiled brightly, standing up and walking around to pull him up by the elbow. "Don't worry so much. If anyone asks, I didn't leave the house the whole time, right?" she teased.

"Yeah, says the worst liar in political history."

She shot Ry a look, "Do you want to go or not?"

"I'll be good!"

* * *

"A good friend can tell you what is the matter with you in a minute. He may not seem such a good friend after telling." – Arther Brisbane

Proofed by: Lay Hime. Thank you!


	9. Chapter 8

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Chapter 8

After a half an hour of adjustment to Relena's wardrobe, she was finally clad in a faded pair of blue jeans, a t-shirt and a vastly oversized sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and left to hang through the baseball cap she wore. Adding a pair of sunglasses, Carver stepped back to admire the work.

"Someone is going to have to be an awfully good stalker to recognize her in that."

All eyes ended up on him again and Heero finally nodded. He wasn't thrilled about the idea, but it also didn't seem fair to keep her locked up, especially in this situation. The 'disguise' was hopelessly lacking, but in truth, it was so completely against her public image that it would probably work.

The group cheered and she happily bounced over and took his arm to drag him towards the door, latching on to Ather's on the way. "Now if you two don't stop looking so gloomy you're going to blow my cover," she admonished.

Ather sent him a glance over her shoulder as she dragged them along. "You're not the one getting fired."

* * *

"Ok, now walk me through this one more time," Ry stated, walking backwards in front of them along the boardwalk. "You," he pointed to Heero, "transferred in here three weeks before the school got bombed by accidental fire and closed." He made swooping and bombing motions with his hands as they inched along the waterfront shops, the falsified OZ reports still doing their jobs at concealing the real reason for the "closing."

Relena sighed from beside him. "Yes, Ry."

"And you were in the same class."

They nodded.

"So you knew each other."

Heero purposefully tried to ignore him.

"But the school closed, you all ran for your lives, and you didn't meet again until this assignment."

"Something like that," Relena mumbled.

"But you were friends?" he insisted, making other hand gestures.

"Ry, it was three weeks. And I think I was actually off planet about half the time."

"Oh, come on, you were the popular kid, you must have known everybody."

Heero fought for something else to direct his attention to, but Alli and Delano were tagging slowly along behind, wandering through the trinket shops as they passed.

"Quite honestly, I didn't care."

The comment came off odd, and he turned back to look at her.

"Now, we're getting somewhere," Ry mumbled.

Relena found an open bench against the edge of the walkway and placed her bag down on it, successfully pausing the group. "We'll just say that the two of us didn't get off to a good start," she chuckled as she causally took her sunglasses off and sat down.

He blinked at her, wondering exactly where she was going with that piece of information.

She stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned back against the chain link fence behind her. He stood beside her, facing out towards the surf rolling up on the beach below.

Ry however, bit at the information and squatted down in front of her. "What? What happened?"

She giggled at him and reached out and knocked his hat down in front. "Why do you want to know?" she asked instead.

"Hey, watch the hair," he complained, spiking up the short blond ridges before replacing the hat.

She laughed at him, glancing back to watch the other two slowly catching up with them.

"No, you can't quit, there's got to be story here," Ry begged.

Relena leaned back and looked up at Heero instead, her smile brightened by the sunshine. "Do I dare tell him?"

He gazed down at her, a bit surprised.

Ry moved in, kneeling beside her and folded his hands together under his chin.

She paused, but then shrugged. Holding up a hand toward her face for secrecy, she leaned down towards Ry and said, "Heero didn't really appreciate being sent here." With a laugh she sat back again, "So let's just say I was in the wrong welcoming committee."

Heero didn't exactly know what to say to that, so he specifically left her story up to her. But Ry didn't appear thrilled with the revelation. "So?"

"So, what?" she shrugged. "We just didn't have a good first impression."

Heero honestly would have chuckled if that statement wasn't so tragically true. As it was, he followed the waves below with his eyes as they came ashore and tried very hard not to think of their first real meeting.

"Agent Yuy, I just don't imagine you being rude," Ry mumbled teasingly.

He finally turned favoring him with smirk. "I didn't recognize what I was getting into," he answered honestly enough.

Relena sighed from between them. "Wow, neither did I."

Ry turned from one to the other as she caught Heero's eye and kept it, a smile playing in them that he was beginning to get use to. "Yeah, you're still not telling me anything here."

She turned back to give him a look, "What were you expecting?"

He shrugged, standing up. "I don't know some fantastic, cosmic connection, thing. Some poetic finale of being placed back together again. How learning to jump off of lighting equipment and running over folding chairs can be an important job requirement!" He paused his tirade and exaggerated gesturing. "No one appreciates me," he sighed dramatically before stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking back towards the other two.

"Wait. Ry!"

Heero watched him go and glanced back down at her as she looked up at him with an expression of total abandon. Shaking her head she scooted forward, using her arms to support her as she turned her attention to scuffing her shoes over the boards of the walkway. He turned to watch behind him as the team picked their way through shell necklaces in a shop a couple stalls down.

"You know, he might not be right," she started, inching a bit closer to where he stood. "But I am glad to have you here."

Her gaze was down and the hat that she wore closed off most of what he could see of her expression.

Heero stared at her with a shocked surprise, not knowing what he could say to her. He simply watched the wind twirl her hair behind her back. Slowly she lifted her eyes to meet his, blinking against the sun behind him. "You know, you about gave us all heart failure last week."

He kept her eyes for a moment, remembering the uncomfortable silences he usually found himself in around the others in the Preventers building. Glancing back over his shoulder he watched the three laugh together over something. He hadn't noticed a difference with them, aside from a few added references such as Ry's just now. "What did you say to them?" he asked instead, turning back to her.

She started, "What makes you think I said something?"

He held her gaze and waited until she let the surprised look go, and shrugged instead. "I actually didn't say much of anything. I tried to chalk it up to the fact that you're wearing a jacket and the rest of them are still in button-downs." She chuckled to herself, glancing over at them, "I didn't figure I should tell them that if they thought that was impressive they should see you jump out of a fifty-story building onto a rock cliff."

Heero snapped back to look at her, the reference ringing in his ears. He remembered the terrified scream that had snapped him out of a fatigue-driven suicide attempt, believing he would be better dead than captured. He had written it off later as imagination brought on by blood loss, but…. "You were there."

She nodded slowly, concern showed in her eyes over his apparently visible reaction. "At the time, I could only figure that you had to be Alliance military. But when Sally started pressing me for information on you, I kind of figured it was the wrong place." She wrung her hands together lightly in her lap. "I didn't think they were going to tie you to a table," she added apologetically.

He closed his eyes, shaking off the odd feelings. "How did you get in?" he asked, curious. Duo finding a way in was one thing, but an upstanding politician's daughter was another.

She burst into giggles, and then used both hands to pull the hat down lower over her face. "I don't think I want to say."

He blinked at her and then glanced back to check that the team was still out of hearing range. "Relena?"

She sighed and lowered her hands. "I told Sally that we were classmate sweethearts, and that I came to check on you."

He stopped, staring at her as she turned to read his reaction, the comments from Sally during the time they'd worked together clicking into his mind.

"Sorry, it was just a cover," she mumbled, obviously a bit concerned she'd offended him.

He blinked and then closed his eyes and shook his head. Turning around he took a seat next to her. "Something just started making sense."

"Oh." She seemed satisfied with the answer a second, but then turned back, looking over her shoulder at him. "What did?"

He absently watched the other three pick through the corner shop, trying on sunglasses. "I think Sally still believes you," he muttered.

Relena's features dropped. Slowly she melted back on the bench beside him. "I didn't think she even believed me then."

* * *

"Tell me that someone else here thinks that there is more going on with them than they're telling us," Ry almost pleaded, specifically staying calm and facing away from the two on the bench across the walkway.

"You know, I just figured she thought he was cute," Alli mumbled, sticking a pair of sunglasses on in the little mirror. "But you might be on to something."

"Cute?"

She turned around to look at him, pointing to the glasses for an opinion. "You've got to admit he's a fine specimen."

He balked at her indignantly. "And what would you know of that?"

She dropped the glasses just to roll her eyes at him. "Ry, you're hopeless."

"I think both of you need to keep your wonderings to yourselves."

"Del, does your butt ever get sore on the fence?"

"Does your mouth ever get tired of the taste of foot," he shot back, continuing his search of the nearby book collection.

"Oh, you two knock it off," she refereed. "I'll pump her for information when we get to room together again. Until then, there's nothing we can do about it."

Ry snapped his fingers, eyes lighting up as he glanced back to the two on the bench. "Maybe there is something…."

Alli looked up at him and then shrugged. The way Ry's mind worked scared her even when he wasn't plotting something.

* * *

"There's got to be juicy gossip in here somewhere."

Relena sighed again, shaking her head and setting down the popcorn bowl. "Ry, do you know how long it's been since I've seen a movie?"

"Three weeks."

"The 'History of Giant Trucks' doesn't count," she commented, turning back to the TV.

Heero pecked away at the laptop he'd been using during the trip, oblivious to both of them. The two of them shared the couch, he with something to work on, her with a bowl of popcorn, and Ry sat in the over-stuffed chair next to Heero… with her old yearbooks.

"Hey, it was my pick."

She sighed again and turned back to the movie.

"What kind of yearbook doesn't have a gossip column?"

"Private school, Ry."

"Even the comments your friends wrote are weak."

She resisted the temptation to start pelting him with the kernels.

"I mean, come on, honestly, you're telling me you didn't have all the guys falling over you?"

She slumped even more into her seat, resisting the temptation to stuff her own head in the bowl.

"Yuy, come on, tell me she's just being naive."

"She's just being naive," he said, his typing not missing a beat.

"I'm what?" she started, staring at him. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, indignant.

"Yes!" Ry cheered. "Tell me she had the guys crawling all over her."

"Some," he answered, still not looking up.

Laughing, Ry snapped the book closed and cheered, scooting his chair closer.

"What?" she squeaked.

"Ok, ok," Ry composed himself. "Did she have a boyfriend?"

"I don't know," he answered, flipping through screens on the computer.

Visibly deflated Ry paused. "But she had suitors?" he asked earnestly.

"Hn," he gave a short nod.

"I'm still sitting here!" The outburst finally made both of them turn to look at her. Re-composing herself as much as possible she gave Heero a point-blank stare, "How would you know anyway?"

He gave her a slightly surprised look, possibly not realizing that he had said something wrong.

"You can learn a lot in three weeks," Ry pointed out.

"It wasn't hard to notice."

Her expression dropped, totally at a loss. Her mind clicking back to her schools days, but she couldn't think of a single "admirer." So where did Heero find them? Formulating a semi-coherent thought she shook her head to clear it. "Who?"

The subtle change in his eyes betrayed his amusement at her befuddled state. She may hate getting to know the quirks of Heero Yuy's character yet.

"Nicolas Shelton."

She gaped at him a moment, thinking of the blond haired boy in her class. He had been a good friend for a couple years. They had shared most of the same classes and he had easily joined many of the same groups…. "You're imagining things," she stated finally, drawing her conclusions.

He blinked at her and then turned back to his work. "Imagination doesn't challenge you to a fencing match."

She snapped back to look at him as he again typed away. "That's what that was about…" she stopped, thinking back to the way Heero had humiliated Nicolas on the mat, breaking his own foil and even going so far as to drive the edge into the other's helmet. "But… I…."

He continued on with what he was doing, leaving her to her thoughts.

"Well what did you expect after a stunt like that," she said instead, the invitation incident coming up to mind.

He looked up again and met her eyes.

"Any friend would have done the same," she stated, turning away. "You had the whole school talking."

She saw him watch her out of the corner of her eye as she sat reflecting on what he'd said.

"You're right." She heard him mumble before he once again turned back to the computer.

Something in the tone didn't sound right and she turned back to look at him. His expression was the same as he again flipped through screens. Was it a slightly apologetic tone she'd noticed? She hadn't exactly brought up his best moment….

Scrutinizing the whole conversation she slowly realized that Heero was a bit more perceptive than she usually was, and especially at that point in her life. She should probably trust his judgment, and she certainly shouldn't have mentioned her invitation. Relena had no way of really knowing what went through his mind then any more than she knew now.

"That's it?" Ry commented from his chair.

They both looked over at him.

"Oh, no, I'm not here, don't mind me," he said quickly, attempting to squish down low in the chair, something very hard for someone his height. He flipped open the yearbook again and comically played at looking through it.

She turned from Ry to Heero again, feeling very strange about him knowing—well, at least thinking—that someone had liked her. What was she doing?

"Oh, I'm sorry," she sighed instead. The two watched her absently wring her hands together. "I did think roses were an odd birthday present…." She giggled humorlessly, "Oh, well."

"Well, maybe you should give him a call," Ry added, waggling his eyebrows at her.

This time she did chuck a couple pieces of popcorn at him. "This is all your fault, you know that?"

"What's my fault? You finally figure out, years after the fact, that some guy liked you?"

She stopped, "Well, yes."

He broke out laughing. "You are too precious."

This time she looked around for something harder to throw, and found a ball of yarn with her mother's knitting needles. Deciding on the yard instead of the needles, she threw one at him, missing his head by a couple inches.

Turning to watch it land he glanced back at her, his laughing at least halted. "You did suck at anything with a ball, didn't you?"

She glared daggers at him until he stood up to retrieve the purple fuzz, holding up both hands in surrender.

"Joke, joke," he turned around and walked over to the wall where it lay. "Not my fault you two can't communicate enough to figure these things out on your own."

Heero, who had gone back to his work during their discussion, glanced up at him. Removing a hand from the keypad he held it out to her. Relena looked at it before realizing what he was planning, and quickly handed him another ball of yarn. Hefting it once, Heero quickly threw it at Ry's back just as he moved to pick up the other ball, this one hitting him squarely in the back of the head.

"Hey!"

Heero returned to typing, and she about collapsed onto her side laughing.

"Really, you just think that's funny, don't you." The first purple ball came whizzing towards her and she instinctually ducked.

When nothing hit her, she cautiously looking up and found Heero handing her the ball back, not turning from the monitor.

"Man, where do you learn this stuff?" Ry asked, totally floored by the no-look save.

Heero finished whatever he was working on with one hand, and then slowly closed the computer down as she took the ball away from him. Looking up he shrugged, "Classified."

Ry visibly wilted, moving back to flop down in the chair. "Fine, you two just go on with your little psycho relationship."

Relena chuckled merrily to herself and scooted back to her original position on the sofa, her attention back on the movie. "Now, what did I miss?" she asked herself as some building exploded on screen.

"I found it!" Alli announced herself as she entered the living room.

Relena crunched her popcorn, irritated with yet another interruption.

"Ah-ha!" Ry jumped up in victory, before looking at Alli, "Found what?"

"The absolute cutest picture in the history of St. Gabriel's."

She triumphantly held the yearbook out, walking up beside Ry. He leaned in over her shoulder and stopped, his eyes going buggy.

Relena chewed, waiting for the two to show their discovery of some terribly embarrassing moment in her school career, almost bored with the whole thing by now.

Heero placed his laptop on the coffee table in front of them and leaned back on the couch. Ry slumped forward, placing his chin on Alli's shoulder as he apparently read through the copy in the book, taking his time with the incriminating evidence.

She shrugged and turned back to the TV. Moving the popcorn bowl she offered some to Heero who glanced it and then took a handful.

"Un-freaking-believable."

Alli flipped the page again, and finally they both looked over and eyed them on the couch. Relena watched them stare at her until she glanced across at Heero, who was also waiting casually for an explanation, and turned back to them. "What?" she finally asked.

Almost in unison they looked back to the book and then back to her.

"It can't possibly be any worse than that kitty costume," she muttered, stuffing some more popcorn in her mouth, and pointedly ignoring them.

"Un…freaking…believable," Ry commented, slowly taking the book from Alli and straightening.

"I think it's adorable."

Ry walked over, standing directly in front of them, in the way of the TV, and glanced between the two of them. "Have you seen your last year's book?" he asked.

She paused, blinking, "I didn't think they published one."

He held it up and smiled. "They have this nice commemorative piece in the back. Every picture that was taken on the last two rolls of film from the staff." He slowly rotated the book, towards them. "From this 'Spring Festival' dance."

Relena's popcorn tried to go down the wrong way and she coughed and sputtered a moment. Taking up a quarter of the page, in full color and perfect focus was an image of her and Heero's single dance that night. The image caught them from the side, easily displaying her in his arms with no amount of leverage to convince them that it was someone else.

Composing herself and swallowing, she glanced beside her, and watched his unfazed expression as he popped another kernel in his mouth, looking from the book to Ry holding it.

Ry's patience apparently wore off with the two. "So?"

Heero looked at him a moment. "It was a dance."

Relena coughed a couple more times, fighting for something to say, a now-familiar feeling of worry creeping into her. All three turned to her, a bit worried looking. "Just popcorn," she shook it off.

Alli walked over and took the book away from him again, gazing at the picture. "I just think it's cute. Do you guys still have these uniforms?"

"Forget the uniforms," Ry grinned from ear to ear. "Yuy, you dog. Three weeks and you were putting the moves on the Vice Minister's daughter, and with what's-his-name hanging on her too. Gutsy," he added appraisingly.

Alli looked up, confused. "What?"

"I'll tell you later," he shushed her.

Heero blinked, "It was one dance."

"Uh-huh."

He shrugged, "She asked."

All eyes turned to her as Relena fought to keep the blush down. "Well, I… uh…."

"Aaaaaahh," Ry and Alli both gave her 'that look.'

"What?" she squeaked, fighting for a good explanation.

"No wonder you didn't notice the other guys," Ry suggested, wrapping an arm around Alli's shoulders.

The two chuckled and she felt her checks start to burn. "No—I… but—uh," she fought to articulate something but failed miserably. She finally took the pillow off the couch beside her and buried her face in it. Maybe it would be better if they did think some high school crush had been captured in the picture instead of the truth.

"Yuy, I think it's about time you and I had a man to man talk."

"As if Miss Relena would want anything to do with him after that."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You just can't keep your nose to yourself."

"You're the one that brought the thing in here."

"I thought it was sweet!"

Relena slowly pulled the pillow down and peeked over the top of it as the two stood arguing in front of them. She slowly worked up the courage to glance over at Heero from the corner of her eye, and found him merely watching the two argue.

Catching her looking, he gave her a slightly quizzical expression and she finally pulled the pillow down to her lap, avoiding further eye contact.

She felt more than saw the light chuckle as he regarded her. Surprised, she glanced over at him again. With a lighthearted smile he offered her the popcorn bowl again and she couldn't help but laugh at the gesture.

Somehow, she decided that seeing Heero laugh was well worth the humiliation she would be getting for next six months.

Taking a few kernels she settled back to watch the other two play out their own little drama.

* * *

It was quiet at five in the morning, even on Earth. The whisper of the colonies was normal to him, but in the time he had spent here, he hadn't adjusted to the sounds of a living planet. However, in the dark before dawn, he was a bit more at home than normal.

He had relieved Delano from his night watch and took a seat in the library, on the couch beside one of the patio doors, forgoing any lights. Pulling up the company comparisons, he checked for new updates on what Wufei may have found yesterday.

Soft footsteps slowly descended the stairs into the entry room and rounded the corner towards him. He stopped, listening intently to them as they paused at each doorway. Only one person then.

The steps stopped at the first library doorway behind him. "You're going to ruin that perfect eyesight of yours if you keep working in the dark."

"Hn." He quickly saved the analysis, wondering idly what Relena would say if he told her that his eyesight was a surgically permanent feature.

Her chuckle was quiet as she slowly padded over to the couch. He turned to regard her as she came in; the predawn light filtering in the windows wasn't enough to see her clearly. She strode in dragging a blanket wrapped around her. "Do you ever need sleep, Agent Yuy?"

"Apparently as much as you do."

She came up behind him and he waited for her to make her way around the couch, but instead he felt her hands on his shoulders, startling him. "I didn't figure Commander Une would leave you all to me," she chuckled, and he specifically forced himself to relax under her touch. "What have you been working on?"

He popped up a copy of the original program on the screen. "We've been alerted to a number of encrypted messages that seem suspicious."

"Ah," she mumbled, "Is that illegal?"

He pushed down the fuzzy feeling he was becoming acquainted with and again told himself to relax. He slowly shook his head, "It's just a precaution." It wasn't that her touch was unwanted; it was just, different, unique… personal. Somehow, the friendly affection that she treated him with was always significant to him.

"Ah," she announced, "you're spying."

The smile in her voice slowly pushed the odd thoughts out of his head as he closed down the screen and set (it) aside. "That's classified," he said instead, getting her to giggle.

She backed away, taking her hands from him. "I'm bothering you, aren't I?"

He shook his head, his body already missing the warmth of her. "No."

"Good." She rounded the couch and flopped down next to him, tucking her feet under her as she faced him, the blanket loosely held over her shoulders. "I want to apologize for today."

He placed the laptop on the floor out of the way. "There's no need."

"Yes there is, I put you in a very bad position without meaning to."

He shook his head at her, but knew he wouldn't get anywhere if he tried to stop her. "You got the worst of it."

She sighed, "Don't I know it. But in all fairness, you're not making it easy to cover you," she said very quietly, leaning in for secrecy.

He realized that it was partly a joke, but not before that familiar feeling came back to mind. "I'm sorry, Relena."

The announcement visibly shocked her as she jolted straight, her blanket slipping off one shoulder of her silhouette. "What—no, don't be. I'm just kidding."

He shook his head, a small smile forming that he knew she couldn't see in the dark. "It's been a burden to ask of you."

"Humph," she sighed. "Not at all."

The sound of her voice made him pause. There was something more there that stilled him inside. That earnest pitch that he could identify as the strength of her emotions.

It was the same sound, from this same girl, that had probably saved his life more times than he could really count. The emotion poured into her words to him may have been what first stopped him from attempting to eliminate her, and later, what gave him enough strength to want to live.

She cared.

At first it was a feeling that he attempted to ignore. He'd been mistaken to believe that he could forget it though. Each time he felt like giving up; just staying down and dying, the thought that someone would actually be sad for him….

Why?

On sheer impulse, he reached over and found her cheek in the dimly lit room. Maybe it was just to make sure that she wasn't a figment of his imagination again, perhaps he just needed to feel her.

She seemed surprised at first, and he almost took it back. But he felt her smile; heard her chuckle just a bit. Bringing up her own hand she placed it against his, holding him there. "Your hands are cold," she whispered.

He blinked at her, realizing that her cheek and hand felt warm against him. He brushed his thumb over her cheekbone once before attempting to pull away. But she didn't let him.

Instead she brought his hand down and placed it in the blanket in her lap, rubbing it between both of hers. "You must be cold sitting down here," she reasoned.

His same line of thought came back at the show of concern. "Why do you care?"

The soft question froze her until she slowly lifted her head up to look at him.

He realized too late that that sounded harsh. "You always have. …I don't understand why."

She let out a breath, and relaxed again. Slowly she lowered her gaze and sat silently, thinking. Finally she shook her head, "I'm not sure I can answer that."

There was something buried deep in her voice, and her hands tightened absently around his. He never should have asked, never should have brought up their past. They had dwelled on it enough for one day.

He waited for her a moment to see if there would be anything else. But she never looked up, never relaxed her grip, and as he watched her he could hear her breathing grow shallow….

"Relena," he whispered, leaning towards her, a concern he wasn't used to washing over him.

She picked her head up quickly. "I don't know."

Heero paused, confused over what she meant.

"You were everything that I needed to be, but wasn't." She chuckled humorlessly, lowering her gaze again. "You were my strength."

Involuntarily he backed away a few inches, shocked surprise echoing in his head.

"Listen to me, I sound like an idiot," she mumbled, raising a blanket-covered hand to rub her forehead.

His expression softened and he made a single conscious decision. Removing his hand from hers he raised both of them to her face, cradling her jawbone. She looked up at him surprised as he leaned in, placing his forehead against hers. He felt her neck and shoulders relax under his touch. "I shouldn't have asked," he whispered, hoping that it would relieve her mind.

He felt her smile, and she reached over to place a hand on his chest, over his heart. "I'm sorry I don't know myself enough to answer you."

He closed his eyes, "I understand."

"Heero." Her tone made him pull back to look at her. She took her hands and placed them over his, removing them to hold them both in hers. "I felt that… I had a purpose with you."

"A purpose?" he blinked.

"I wanted to protect you."

Heero only stared at what he could see of her in the gray room.

She dropped their hands to her lap and took a slightly stuttered breath. "I thought that if I could somehow peacefully stop the fighting, that you'd be safe. You and everyone else. I was hopelessly naive, I know that now. But at the time, it was all I could do." She shook her head. "I didn't realize until it was too late that the only thing I didn't trust you with… was your own life."

Heero took a breath to say something, but couldn't. Even his emotions were so confused that they simply shut off, leaving his chest numb. For once a silence between them hung dead, shattering their normal quiet interactions. His mind worked at everything she said, filing it away and arguing over the validity of the claims….

She squeezed his hands in hers, reminding him that he had the appendages. "This would be a good time to say something," she whispered.

He started, realizing that that confession had left her afraid of his response. Finally his emotions seeped back in, settling on one familiar feeling. He shifted in his seat and gently pulled one of his hands free to raise it to her face.

She easily accepted the gesture, leaning into his touch, her breath tickling his wrist. His brain needed some time to sort through this. And the thought that it had scared her to admit it made him want to try to protect her from that feeling.

The questions burned into him, but above all, the feeling of pride prevailed again. Maybe it wasn't really pride, but that seemed as good a name as any for this moment. The idea that she had stepped through the war, with his interests at heart….

She trusted him with everything but his own life.

His own.

His hand slipped down to her neck, losing its grip, the thought repeating over in his head. Only his.

She shifted, sensing the difference. "Heero?"

He closed his eyes a moment, forming a coherent thought. "Why my life?"

"What?"

He gently moved closer to look at her, her eyes actually visible by now in the buttered morning light. "Your life was the one I was threatening." The words were hard to force out, the mistakes of the past painfully close to the surface.

She blinked at him, confused, until he saw the recognition dawn. She smiled instead, shaking her head. "I knew too much. That was why. To protect yourself it would have been better if I died."

He gnawed at the comment, nodding slowly.

"I told you, I wanted to protect you," she stated. "I didn't mind the thought of dying at your hands, Heero. I minded not knowing why." She tilted her head to the side, "I told you that once."

The dance. Ironically captured in an obscure yearbook as a happy memory.

"You understood what the war was really about. You were the one that was fighting. If my life needed to end, I trusted that you would know what would be best."

He closed his eyes in front of her, swallowing her words.

He felt her lean towards him, placing a hand on his chest again. He looked at her, only inches away, a serene smile to her lips. "You never realized this, did you?"

He swallowed and slightly shook his head.

Her lighthearted chuckle displaced the dark feelings running through him. He let go of her as she inched closer, and then encircled her arms around him in a hug.

It took him a moment to figure out how to lightly hug her back. Her head rested on his shoulder a while before he felt her sigh. "I feel different with you next to me Heero. I always have." She slowly pulled away and he let her go, not knowing how to stop her. She sat up next to him, pulling the blanket around her again. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't really mean to bring this all up again."

He slowly shook his head, coming to terms with her feelings, if not his own.

She gazed back at him, and he wasn't sure what he found in her eyes. There was nothing that he could compare her to. "I'd better get back before the others get up," she sighed, rising slowly.

He nodded absently and she gave him one more smile as she slipped from the room. He closed his eyes in the dawning light, listening as her steps quietly crept back upstairs. Heero sat still and silent most of the rest of his watch, attempting to sort out why he felt so hollow after she left.

* * *

"We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person."- Maugham

Proofed by: Silver-Eyed and Lay Hime. Thank you!


	10. Story Arc Chapter 2

"Manifestations"  
By Isis cw  
Chapter 2

"Good afternoon, Master Winner."

"Good morning, Dorothy," he smiled.

"Morning?" she paused, enjoying the afternoon sun pouring over the deck she lounged on. "Oh, I did it again. What time is it there?"

Quatre faced off of the vid-screen and then chuckled, "Five thirty."

Dorothy giggled merrily to herself, noting the slightly tousled hair on the young man. "Well, at least I know you're a morning person."

He quickly brushed it off, "It's all right. I was up anyway."

"Ah, such dedication. It's heartwarming."

With a tight smile he just ran his fingers through his hair.

"Well, I best let you get back to whatever you were up to. I just wanted to check on the progress with the repair crews," she stated, enjoying the slightly nervous expression pasted on his face.

"They finished late yesterday and fled like they were running for their lives. What exactly did you tell them?"

Dorothy giggled and took a sip of her tea before looking back at him. "I told you Quatre, I would take care of any problems that arise, just so long as you don't ask for my tactics."

"Just please tell me you aren't holding their families hostage or something." He looked at her worriedly, as if she was capable of such things…. Well, "capable" was very encompassing word.

"Nothing of the sort," she assured, favoring him with a perfectly evil smile. "I merely reminded them of their contract to us."

He sighed and scratched his head thoughtfully. "I'm sure you did."

Sipping at her tea again she happily sighed. "Well, if there is nothing else that requires... a woman's touch?" she teased.

He chuckled, shaking his head, but stopped and looked up at her. "There is something actually. I'm glad you called."

"Even at five thirty in the morning?"

"Well, you've always kept me on my toes," he mumbled. Shaking it off he rummaged through something off screen on his desk. "We have been invited to a benefactor's dinner for those who have received building grants. I was wondering if you would like to accompany me?"

"Now, how silent would that be of me?" she asked, amused to no end with the light blush on his checks.

"I thought it might be a good time for you to unofficially announce your involvement," he reasoned to the invitation in his hands.

Dorothy mulled it over. This party would no doubt pull together the main brain cells behind almost any of the post-war building projects, from the other colonies to the war museums. Quatre was right; it may be time to slowly work her way into polite society as someone on the respectable side of things….

"And, uh well, I'm just not very good at these things," he stuttered. "I was kind of hoping you could walk me through some of the pleasantries," he chuckled nervously to her.

She leaned her elbow on her deck chair and propped up her chin, more than enjoying the sight. "Why, Quatre, I'm not sure that I can say no to an invitation like that. But really, you should be very well versed in these things by now."

He slowly shook his head. "The party is in your territory. Venice to be exact."

She blinked back her surprise before she smiled. "I see. Well, that's just too close for me to say no."

"I'd appreciate it."

She smirked at him, believing there to be more to this simple invitation then he let on. But dearest Quatre always did have her best interests at heart. "Very well, I would be honored to accompany you, Master Winner."

He smiled and nodded to her.

"But on one condition."

He blinked, "What would that be?"

She leaned back in the chair, taking in the scene of the lake directly in front of her balcony-deck. "You allow me to host you, of course."

Quatre's surprise turned to a smile before he cautiously answered, "That would be nice."

She clapped her hands together and smiled. "Fabulous. When shall I expect you?"

* * *

"Master Quatre, is this absolutely necessary?"

"Will you all please stop worrying? I'm only staying a few days with a friend," he smiled through his own nervousness.

"A friend that not only shot at you, but ran a fencing foil through you for good measure."

He sighed, glancing over the group of Maguanacs. "I don't think I saw you all at your best when I first met you either."

The reminder slowly silenced them as they thought back to the kidnapping attempt.

"Now then, she said she would meet me at the landing field," he finished, ending the conversation for the third time since they had boarded the space plane.

The others still grumbled over his choice of hosts for the weekend outing. He had no reason to mistrust Dorothy anymore, and neither did they, but old wounds leave scars. Apparently the group around him remembered his a bit more painfully then he did himself.

Oh well, he would come out of this unscathed and they would stop worrying. …He hoped.

* * *

The landing field that Dorothy's instructions directed them to didn't even show up on the navigation points until they were nearly overhead. The landing beacon was completely automated and there was nothing but a lone receiving building off to one side of the single runway, and it looked abandoned.

Quatre stepped off the shuttle wondering if he was actually in the right spot. But beside the receiving building sat a single car in the parking lot, which was being vacated by Lady Catalonia herself.

Clad in a short yellow sundress and a white cardigan she slowly sauntered down the slope of grass towards the runway.

"Well, they aren't big on formality," he mumbled as Rashid came up beside him, raising a hand to shield his eyes in the bright sunlight.

"I can't imagine her living all the way out in a place like this," he returned.

Quatre shrugged as he waved a hello towards her as she stepped onto the pavement, her sandals clacking softly. She waved back, a smile in place as she used one hand to keep her hair from blowing into her face in the breeze.

He walked out to meet her halfway, taking a closer look around at the scenery. It was a beautiful place. They lay in a valley between a range of gently rolling hills that sloped up in the distance to form blue peaks of low mountains. The breeze was cool against the warmth of the sun that shown down, and stirred the tall grasses around the building area.

Coming up close, he finally made eye contact with her as she stopped her pace. "It's a bit humble, but it's far closer than any other landing point."

He nodded with a chuckle. "I understand." Rounding, the two walked the rest of the way back to the shuttle as the group hung out at the open hatch door, his luggage waiting.

The group gave their well wishes for a nice time as he picked up his things, Dorothy even politely insisting to carry a bag. "Don't worry, gentlemen, I'll be sure to take good care of him." With a flip of her hair she started off, back towards the car. Quatre sighed silently and gave the others a smile and a wave before catching up with her.

"So, madam hostess, quite a place you have here," he made small talk back up the slope to her car. Popping the trunk of the gold coupe, he smiled thinking that this was exactly what he would have expected from her.

"We're only about half an hour out, we should be at the house for tea," she teased, sliding herself into the driver's seat.

"This is a convenient landing site for you then, isn't it?" he asked as she backed the car out of the parking area.

"That was the reason for building it," she replied, coasting them down the hillside road.

He turned and blinked at her, taken aback by the comment.

She glanced over, seeing the expression. "My little home was once my grandfather's vacation house. We visited occasionally, but never got much use out of the dear little place. I decided I may as well change that," she giggled to herself, adding a pair of sunglasses.

He smiled at her as the wind picked up through the sunroof as she increased speed on the narrow, winding road. He watched the scenery pass, the green of the hillsides in stark contrast to the visions he normally encountered on his trips to Earth.

They never did pass another car and he was beginning to wonder if there were any forms of other life out here when a small town came into view. "Lago Bonito," she stated as they slowed to take a corner just short of the city limit. "Friendly, but a bit… dull," she drawled.

"'Lago,' that's why I can smell water?" he asked, noting the humidity in the air.

She laughed, speeding around the zigzag curves of the road. "You're about to find out."

Rounding yet another hill Quatre was assaulted by the sparkle of the sun over waves of water. The road dropped sharply down to the water's edge as it stretched in a wide river for miles off in the West. The sight was breathtaking as he stared out at the glistening waves being kicked up by the wind diving down between the hilled banks.

Dorothy giggled quietly to herself as she hummed the rest of the way, the wind twirling the loose strands of her hair around her. He smiled over to her and then turned back to the view.

The scenery changed again as they passed around the hill that had given them a vantage point to the river. Crawling over the rocky, green terrain, she slowed the car as they approached the top of the hill, turning onto a small driveway that took them back down the hillside in the opposite direction. Passing around the front rows of trees a house came into view in front of them, flanked on either side by the trees and the rocks of the surrounding hillside.

"Here we are," she said, placing the car into park in front of the two-story cottage.

"Don't believe in neighbors, do you?" he asked getting out.

She chuckled as she helped him get his things. The house stood solid, towering over the smaller trees planted around the sides of it. The facade was rock around the door, up to the second floor balcony. Above that, the walls were entirely glass, the rooms having an un-obscured view of the larger trees and hillside that they had driven down.

"There is some expression of glass houses that comes to mind about now," he mumbled.

She smiled and led the way down the rock path to the front door, pushing it open without unlocking it, and standing aside to let him in.

Quatre walked into a living room twice as long as he would have expected from the outside. The front windows faced out to the same forest view. But what he had expected to be the second story was actually a vaulted ceiling over this section of the house. The two-story wall of glass was cut in two by the balcony running along the outside, but otherwise offered an amazing amount of light to penetrate.

The floors were wooden, as was the grand banister railing that ran up the wall next to the doorway towards the upstairs. The room was furnished in greens and browns, two sitting areas were laid out in the room, one next to the windows, the other off to one side next to the great, open fireplace designed in the same rock as the outside.

"Wow."

Beside him Dorothy chuckled. "I'll give you the quick tour before I let you settle." Setting his bag down at the foot of the stairs, he did likewise. "The main room," she waved a vague hand around at the wood paneled masterpiece.

He walked in, taking in the view from the windows as he approached the sofa. "I think I can see why you don't care for colony life," he ventured.

He heard her laugh from behind him and turned to find her next to the back wall. "That's just the entryway," she smiled. Reaching up she pulled away a panel of the wall, and he watched as it accordion folded in two directions. The divider was placed where the ceiling lowered to normal height, easily enclosing the living room. She pushed one side all the way back to the stairway wall, displaying a dinning room table and buffet.

But beyond the furnishings was another wall of glass. Quatre gaped as his eyes met the blue crystal sparkles of a small lake laid out before him.

Dorothy stepped to the other side and withdrew the remaining portion of the divider screen, revealing a nice kitchen with an island placed between it and the dinning table.

However, he wasn't all that interested in the layout of the house anymore. As he walked forward he came face to face with a set of sliding doors that led out onto a huge balcony. It overlooked this lake placed in the middle of a valley between two green ridges of hills. Dipping slowly in the afternoon sky, the sun shown in all majesty above the water's waves.

Dorothy's shrill laughter finally made him blink as she stepped up beside him, placing her hand and chin on his shoulder. "I think that expression is the whole reason I stay out here."

He didn't need to see the smirk on her face to know it was there. "This is amazing," he complimented.

"It is, isn't it?" she sighed. Stepping around him she opened one of the doors along the wall and walked out onto the deck, motioning him out.

Quatre complied, walking out into the breezy afternoon. Crossing the wood planks he stepped up to the railing beside her, taking in the unpopulated spectacle in front of him.

"I un-mothballed the house a few months ago, finding better uses for some of the other properties that got handed down. This place just felt better," she sighed, leaning against the railing, the wind blowing her hair enough to tickle against his side.

He turned to her and simply watched her look out at the valley below. She seemed at peace here, and that, he figured, was the reason she stayed. He smiled at the thought, happy that she had found such a place to rest. Glancing down over the railing he let the cool breeze whiz by them….

Until he figured out that he was still staring into water.

He blinked and then turned back to the decking under his feet, looking through the spaces in the boards to find water all the way back to the house foundation, that seemed to be sitting on a rock outcropping… probably a hundred feet up.

Dorothy glanced over her shoulder at him, "Quatre?"

"I guess I'm not used to this much water," he chuckled.

She giggled at his expression before taking his arm and leading him back inside. "Well then, I'll have to give you the more land-locked guestroom," she teased.

* * *

The guestroom she led him to was set on the corner of the house facing back towards the driveway, giving him a very nice view of trees instead of the blue of the water beyond. Which was just fine; trees weren't all that prevalent in the desert either, but they were a bit more soothing to him than dangling over the edge of full sized lake. Odd what people get used to.

Dorothy had excused herself to let him settle in, saying she would be in the kitchen when he was finished. Unpacking in the glass-walled room, he idly wondered about the choice of location for her. She must feel at peace here. Perhaps that had a good deal to do with it being so far out of the way.

It didn't matter, this was how she chose to live and he couldn't blame her. He sat down on the bed, appreciating the near ninety-degree line of vision out to the wilderness, the windows reflective-tinted to preserve the privacy of the room. A sliding door stood on the side wall, allowing entrance to the walkway balcony that stretched all the way around the house.

It was a fantastic design, he would easily admit that.

Exiting his room he wondered down the hallway. It looked like three other rooms comprised the upstairs. One was directly over the kitchen/dining area and the other two were on his side of the hall. The open banister looked down into the living room all the way to the end of the stair case. The hallway ended with a tiny, open sitting area on the far wall, making use of the space where the stairs and hallway finished in the floor-plan.

He slowly descended the stairs to the main room again, smiling at the family crest that hung on display in the center of the steps. He found Dorothy standing in the dining room/kitchen, a cup in hand as she gazed out through the sliding doors.

Quietly walking up behind her he noted that the sky had turned cloudy and now hid the late afternoon sun.

"I hope you don't mind thunderstorms as much as you do living over a lake," she teased, sipping at her cup.

"I bet you have a good view of them up here," he side-stepped instead.

"I bet we have a good view of one tonight."

* * *

"My dear maid only works a couple days a week, so I'm afraid you're going to have to abide my cooking."

Quatre chuckled as he watched her trace around the kitchen. He sat at the table, watching the heavy bank of clouds roll in over the hills, lightning starting to flicker off in the distance. He had helped her carry in the small selection of deck furniture to her side office so that it would be out of the elements before she set to work on dinner.

"You're pretty much alone up here, then?" he asked, curious at her total lack of interactions.

"Oh, I take a jaunt into town now and again. They have a darling little café, and whatnot. But for the most part, the time that I spend here is very… serene," she mused.

"I wouldn't have expected this from you," he slowly admitted.

"Really? Well, I suppose it has been a new development," she mumbled, bringing over a pot and setting it down. "My specialty this evening is pasta," she bowed. "Mainly due to my single ability of boiling water."

He laughed at her, "Well, you're doing better than I would."

The two conversed quietly over dinner, the conversations interrupted by the crash of thunder as the storm began quickly running over the valley. The rain started as a downpour and then got heavier.

"Do you get these a lot?" he asked, almost fascinated by their vantage point. The lights in the kitchen flickered once and Quatre hoped he was imagining things.

"Apparently quite often during the spring." She rose and walked over to the buffet behind them, pulling out a silver candelabrum from the cupboard, and then began rummaging through the drawers.

"No need to dig out the good sliver for me," he teased.

She chuckled and then finally placed it on the edge of the table, striking a match to light the candle. "This house is on its own power grid out here, and, well," she blew the match out, "it's not very reliable."

He blinked, "Reliable?"

She nodded, taking her seat. "The storms have a tendency to blow the circuit. The town's crew does a nice job of getting it running… it just usually takes them until the next morning," she smiled.

Quatre was a bit startled. On a colony, loss of power meant loss of heat, movement—which equaled gravity, and airflow. In short, no power, no life-support. "This doesn't bother you?"

She shrugged, "I've gotten used to the pleasantries of the backwoods." Rising again she took their plates, "Coffee?"

"That'd be fine," he agreed. She sauntered into the kitchen and placed their dishes in the sink. While she rummaged in the cupboards he stood and went to the window again, watching the rain wash over the glass. He undid the top button on his shirt, the humidity really getting to him he decided.

The lightning flickers were high for the most part, reminding him of the heat lightning near the Maguanac's base, except of course this wasn't miles off in the distance.

A fact that made itself clear as the outside lit up with a deafening clap of thunder. The nearness of the bolt was the last straw for the ill-tempered lights as they cut out, casting the house into near darkness. The candle on the table did its job, producing only enough light to see around the room with.

"Well, I guess I'll have to offer you a rain check on the coffee," Dorothy muttered from the kitchen.

He smiled through the rush of adrenalin that kicked in, his colony childhood drilling in the safety routes in case of loss of power systems. "That's all right," he said instead. Turning back to the window, he stood, feeling very insignificant in the full face of a raging storm. And very nervous with the whole situation.

"A majestic force," she cooed, coming up to stand at his side.

"Yes, it is," he quietly agreed. "This never bothers you, does it?" he asked, knowing nothing ever seemed to rattle her.

"No, the storms never bother me," she answered, the thunder nearly drowning her out. "The quiet bothers me."

He blinked, turning to look at her in the candlelit flickers. This place seemed awfully quiet if that was something that troubled her. He took in her expression, noting the difference in her eyes as she looked out.

"The quiet?" he asked gently, prodding her thoughts.

She nodded. "I suppose that is why I never appreciated the Colonies. Everything is too silent there."

He blinked at her a moment before turning to fully face her. "Dorothy?"

She didn't look at him, didn't even acknowledge his movement. "It always worried me when things went silent," she whispered.

Slowly his mind kicked over to what she was saying. It wasn't weather that she really referred to. Everything got quiet with death. Her family had slowly passed away before her eyes. He was sure it was hard living in a house that was always mourning the loss of one member or another….

She blinked, shaking off her thoughts and turned back to him. "Well, that isn't a conversation for tonight," she smirked.

She made a move to turn away when he placed a hand on her arm. Turning back he held her gaze. "What really makes you stay all the way out here?"

She stared, visually taken aback by his words, but just as quickly her eyes narrowed. "What do you care, Mr. Winner?" she snapped.

The comment released his hand from her arm as his emotions cringed at her tone. "I'm sorry," he added, not meeting her eyes.

He heard her sigh as she turned to face the windows, hugging her arms in front of her. "I didn't mean to snap at you," she whispered.

The small apology only increased the worry in him. It was rather… un-Dorothy-like. Trying again, he worked up his nerve, trying to place his words right. "I do care. We both have pasts that can haunt us in the middle of the night. I don't pretend to know yours, but… I wish I could help."

Quatre swallowed, almost counting his breaths as she stood in front of him, outlined between the warm candle glow and the cold, white lightning. It was a long time before she even moved, but he wasn't about to leave her side. There was something nagging at her terribly in the dark.

Slowly she turned to face him, her eyes down. He slowly relaxed, letting her take her time, figuring she would be back to teasing him viciously for his words any time.

Looking up she locked eyes with him as she stepped in close. He felt her hand lightly touch his side and he had to forcefully keep from flinching back from the surprise move. She held his eyes, no sign of the customary smirk she typically wore.

"Did I leave a scar?"

He blinked, taking a moment to figure out what she was talking about. Slowly her eyes trailed down to her hand on his side, and he got it. Smiling tightly, he forced him to relax, figuring she was back to her old tactics. "It just proves I can never forget you."

Her eyes closed as her hand slipped away from him.

Looking down at her, he realized too late that she was wrestling her emotions, and obviously their battle on _Libra_ was at the heart of it now.

Not knowing what to say, Quatre cautiously reached out to set his hands on her waist, checking to see if she would accept a comforting touch. He stood so that her bowed head was a mere inch from his face. Her body trembled slightly, but she made no move to withdraw from his touch, nor did she move closer or even acknowledge his embrace with one of her own.

It was not a demeanor that he would have believed Lady Catalonia was capable of.

Slowly, he leaned in closer, moving his arms into a light hug. Turning his head he whispered into her ear, "Dorothy?" Her only response was a small swallow in her throat. Quatre's heart wrenched for the girl. He knew, possibly better than anyone, what unforgiving guilt could do to a person. Even one of her caliber.

"Dorothy," he tried again. "I understand. I know what the ZERO system can do. It wasn't your fault." With one of his hands he absent-mindedly rubbed the small of her back, trying so hard to give her the right words.

He was rewarded with a tiny sob that he felt more than heard, a tremble that worked its way down her back. Startled, he pulled away just enough to look down at the top of her head. "Dorothy?" The concern he felt lined his voice more than he would have liked.

Slowly she shook her head back and forth. "It was my fault. It was all my fault," she whispered, barely being heard over the occasional thunder outside.

"No."

He noticed her swallow again and slowly she lifted her head to look at him. Through the dim candlelight he could barely see two trails sparkle under her eyes. Tears. From the woman who couldn't cry…. He felt an odd mixture of concern and relief from the realization, but it did nothing for the fact that he would have done anything not to see her cry.

"I can't blame what I did on a machine," she whispered, a bit stronger with her emotions.

He blinked, and then looked away, not wanting to think about what he was going to try to explain. "The system… has a way of bringing out what we don't want it to. I know that better than anyone, Dorothy."

He felt her place her hand over his side again, gently resting it against him as though she were afraid that she would still hurt him. He turned his eyes back to face her, but found her gaze on her own hand. "You're so much stronger than I am."

Quatre didn't breathe, her hand feeling hot against him.

"You can admit to the things you had to do." Her voice was unclouded now, low and eerily monotone, but there was no trace of tears in it. "I've been so afraid of even apologizing." She let her hand slip away, leaving him feeling cold and unable to find his voice. "I'm sorry," she whispered, again dipping her voice so low that she could barely be heard.

Through the near constant flicking of the outside storm he watched one large tear fall down her check.

His heart caved in under the weight in his chest. On sheer impulse he leaned into her, wrapping his arms tightly around her, pulling her into a real hug. The move didn't seem to catch her off guard as she gradually relaxed and laid her forehead against his shoulder.

With his lips next to her ear he whispered quietly, "I already forgave you a long time ago."

She slumped a bit closer to him, not raising her head to be heard. "I don't deserve it."

His back stiffened and a shocked breath escaped him. She didn't deserve it? She didn't deserve the person that she hurt to forgive her? How did that makes sense? All he would ever want in life was one person whose home he had destroyed to tell him that he had been forgiven for losing his mind to the ZERO system! And….

And, he wouldn't believe them either.

Unconsciously he tightened his arms around her as he stared out the window behind her, not seeing a thing but the dark emptiness of space where that entire colony had been….

He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve to be forgiven. He deserved to die. Die in the dark of space. Just like his father had….

He snapped his eyes closed. He knew that way of thinking too well. The guilt that had driven him mad, totally and completely insane. The inability to distinguish between what he had done, what had been done to him, and what had happened to his family. He had taken the blame for all of it for so long that all of a sudden, it became someone else's fault, all of it. And he had wanted to destroy all of space in order to kill that figment of his imagination that had caused all of that pain.

Quatre slowly looked back to remind himself that he was tightly holding someone in his arms that had all of those same feelings flooded into her consciousness by the same system that had finally given him a way to unleash the horrors in his soul.

He unwrapped his arms slowly from around her, sliding his hands to her sides and gently pushed her back a few inches. She leaned back at his touch but didn't raise her head.

"You weren't responsible for what happened to your family."

The odd absurdity of the comment made her finally raise her eyes to meet his.

"You weren't responsible for what happened to any of them because you couldn't help." He held her gaze and slowly leaned in closer. "You have to let them rest."

She blinked at him, searching his eyes.

A small smile tugged at his mouth as she slowly responded to him. "But I'm still here, and I forgive you." She lifted her chin farther, not so afraid to look him in the eye. "You're too kind to carry this guilt around with you. You have to give it back, Dorothy, or it will destroy you." Her eyes widened just before he pulled her in close again, wrapping his arms protectively around her.

Her chin rested on his shoulder a moment before he heard her whisper, "I don't want to forget."

He smiled into her hair and closed his eyes. "You won't forget them, you just don't have to be responsible for them anymore."

Quatre felt her body slowly relax against him, molding into him, and felt her hands gradually work up to his lower back. He felt her sigh, sliding her arms around him and up his back. She felt hot—searing hot—against him. His senses were overextended as he memorized her body as it pressed against him. She turned her head and laid her cheek on his shoulder, her nose brushing his neck. A lock of her hair fell over his shoulder and down his side.

A flash-bang sounded from the outside and he felt one of her hands on his back close around a piece of his shirt. He didn't know how long they remained there; he was occupied deciphering her life from his own. They were too similar for this moment to have been an accident.

The pelting rain on the windows turned harsher, sharp notes were heard over the deep baritone of the flood. He felt her raise her head from his shoulder, and her nose brush along his jaw line as she brought her lips next to his ear. He blinked his eyes open as she whispered to him. "I'm sorry, Quatre."

He paused, afraid that his words hadn't truly subsided her guilty feelings.

"This wasn't how I planned dessert."

He let himself grin at the comment, sensing the same fiery, self-confident woman he had come to know in her voice. He pulled away enough to look her in the eye, the smile still in place. "It's all right," he assured.

There was a sparkle to her eyes that he remembered well, seeing it at its finest during their dealings. He nearly laughed at it now, feeling, for once, he had really found a way that his past could be useful in helping someone else.

She slipped one of her hands from behind his back, leaving a cool place where her touch had been. Satisfied that she would be all right, he loosened his hold around her, not really wanting to let go.

But she slid her free hand up to his neck and caressed his cheek. The move stilled him and he let her direct his face to where his nose brushed hers. "Thank you, Quatre."

He gazed into her eyes as much as possible through the dark, not exactly registering what she said. He heard her chuckle as her hand moved, and her fingers brushed over the hair that was on end at the nape of his neck. Dorothy's nose brushed his again a second before she tilted her head and met her lips to his in a quick kiss, a kiss that he didn't have the forethought to try to return.

She stepped back and had disentangled herself from him before he had even let out the surprised breath he had swallowed with her kiss. Finally blinking his wide eyes he turned to follow her silhouette as she moved around the table to the side buffet and began opening drawers.

"Well, no sense in sitting in the dark," she said to herself as a small light flicked to life and a new candle was lit, the one on the table having gone out on its own sometime he didn't notice. "Now then, coffee cake?"

A dopey, lopsided grin worked its way onto his face before he turned away from her, laughing. Pacing over the few steps to the window he placed his forehead on the cold glass and just chuckled.

He snapped his head back as a sharp crack sounded against the glass. He looked out, finding only the same storm that had raged all night long… with an exception.

"Um, Dorothy?" She was giggling to herself as she rummaged in the kitchen area again. "There is snow bouncing around out there…."

Slowly sliding up next to him again, she wrapped herself around his side, placing her chin on his shoulder. "Hail, dear Quatre. Just hail."

* * *

"They sicken of the calm that know the storm." - Dorothy Parker

Proofed by: Lay Hime. Thank you!


	11. Chapter 9

"Manifestations"  
By Isis cw  
Chapter 9

"Evening, Beautiful!"

Relena giggled at the vid-screen as she sat down at the small desk in her bedroom. "Good evening, Mr. Maxwell. I figured you'd be calling sometime."

"That's right, I'm mad at you! I almost forgot," he grumbled.

She chuckled at his pout. "What did I do this time, as if I didn't know?"

"How did you not tell me that Heero was back?" he asked, incredulous.

She shook her head, "I guess you didn't ask."

"Didn't ask? How exactly does 'what's new' not cover that?" he cried.

She shrugged, "I guess I thought you'd figure it out."

"Yeah, I figured it out. Right about the time I had soda come out my nose when I saw his little display on TV! Do you know how bad that burns?"

She clamped a hand over her mouth to cover the giggles, trying to recomposed herself. "I'm sorry, I guess I should have said something."

"Darn right you should have! I mean, why do I go through all the bother of hacking your phone system to talk to you if you don't give me the juicy stuff?"

She sighed. "It's a private line, Duo. You could just try remembering my number."

He waved her off. "That's too easy."

She smiled back at him with a shake of her head.

"Anyway, so give me the scoop, all I get from the Preventers reports is that he's stationed, where else," he eyed her, "but with your security."

"What else is there?"

His expression dropped. "Don't make me test out that security and come torture you for information, Princess."

She chuckled at him. "He's commanding my away-mission team. The rest of the time he's general staff, I guess. That's why he ended up at the President's rally."

He eyed her, bored, crossing his arms in front of him. "You know that's not the scoop I'm talking about."

She blinked innocently. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I'm talking tickle torture here, Princess," he commented, flipping his braid over his back for emphasis.

She laughed at the threat and leaned into the monitor further. "Careful, I have a very good watch dog these days."

He sighed, "Fine, fine, don't tell me anything. But when they announce your wedding, could you at least make sure that I'm not drinking something at the time?"

She smiled. "You know, I have yet to figure out why I am the official liaison between Heero and the rest of you. I'm sure you can hack his phone system too, can't you?"

He gave her a comic look, dropping his arms back to his sides. "You've obviously never had a phone conversation with the guy. 'Hey, Heero!'" he mimed. "'Hn,'" he mumbled to the other side of the screen. "'How's it going?' 'Hn.' 'Taken out any interesting people lately?' 'Hn.' 'How's that idea of opening up a pastry shop coming?' 'Hn.'" Duo stopped to sigh. "Do you honestly have to ask why I call you instead?"

She shook her head at him as she laughed.

"Now in the future I want you to report all major happenings to me directly when I call, got it?" he asked, sternly pointing a finger at her.

She nodded as solemnly as she could. "I will do my best."

"So, dating yet?" his facade broke.

"Duo!"

"Ok, ok," he shrugged. "I'll give that a couple months."

She sighed, "And you wonder why I didn't say anything."

"That is totally not fair!"

She smirked to herself, an evil idea popping into mind. "Alright, I have some gossip for you."

He perked up, closing in to the screen. "I knew it!"

She leaned back, the smirk staying in place. "How often do you hack Quatre's phone system?"

He blinked, "Once in a while. He's a little easier to pop over and see."

"So you know about the colony building project."

"'Course, I helped wire part of the systems," he added proudly.

"You didn't happen to meet Dorothy Catalonia during that time, did you?"

He balked, his eyes bugging at her. "No way. Wicked-brows? What's she got to do with it?"

Relena almost felt ashamed of laughing at the reference. "It seems they're business partners."

He gaped, "Voluntarily?"

She shrugged, "From what I could tell."

Duo leaned back and laughed evilly, rubbing his hands together. "Oh, this is going to be fun…."

"Just remember to leave me out of it," she warned.

"Deal, deal," he nodded, not paying attention to her anymore.

She smiled at him. "Good to see you well, Duo."

He nodded, "You too, Beautiful. Take care of the stoic pain-in-the butt for me."

She chuckled, "I'll try."

"Oh! And Hilde says hi. I'll connect her in when she gets back from visiting her cousins."

"That sounds nice," she smiled.

With a mock solute he disconnected, leaving her to giggle to herself.

* * *

"Quatre! Ol' buddy, ol' pal!"

"Well hello, Duo. What can I do for you?"

"I heard an interesting rumor…."

* * *

"Dawna, could you send these please?" Relena handed over a stack of disks.

"Absolutely. These got handed down for you too," she added, the phone on her desk ringing as she passed her back a larger stack than Relena just got rid of.

"Lovely."

The aid giggled at her and then answered her phone. "Vice Foreign Minister Darlian's office." Relena waited, and Dawna nodded to her. "Yes, one moment please." She placed the phone on hold, "Ambassador Jonavick."

She smiled, "Progress report. Could you pull the Mars file for me in case I need it?"

"I'll have it right in."

Relena quickly paced back to her office, taking a seat and connecting the vid-line. "Good morning, Ambassador."

"Morning, Ma'am," he replied. Relena blinked at the image that came up. The green eyes of the Ambassador were hooded, and seemed sleep deprived. His mouth was set in a firm line and the man swallowed tightly as he continued. "I am afraid that I have to report bad news to you this morning."

She folded her hands together in her lap and forced herself to stay calm. "What is it?"

He looked down, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. "Miss Relena, I'm afraid that there has been an accident with the Mars project. We lost an entire crew carrier last night."

Relena swallowed, forcing down the panic churning her stomach.

"There was a massive explosion that breached the hull of the blue team's command ship. We lost a good portion of the crew as well as the majority of the supplies needed to finish the quarter section on the colony."

"Are there injured?"

He nodded. "Some. They are being looked after on the other ships. The medical facilities on the colony section are still without life support."

Dawna quietly slipped into the room with the folder in her hand. Giving herself the excuse Relena turned back to the phone. "Ambassador, could you give me a moment, I need to contact someone."

He nodded, "Of course."

She shakily placed the call on hold and looked up at her aid, who gave her a worried look. "Dawna, please call Agent Yuy and ask him to come here as soon as possible."

"Miss Relena?" she asked, her look turning to concern.

"I'm going to need a meeting with him."

Dawna quickly left the room without question. There was something wrong, and if Relena needed her security force, Dawna would get it for her. Pacing quickly back to her desk she punched the speed dial for the Preventers switchboard. "Yes, Agent Heero Yuy, please." It was three rings before she heard the mild click, telling her she was being transferred to his mobile line. _Please be close by_, she prayed.

* * *

The phone on Heero's belt beeped at him as he leaned against the wall in Wufei's office, the three of them sorting out records on the front of the desk. "Yuy," he answered.

"Agent Yuy, this is Dawna Willims from Miss Relena's office."

The speed of the aid's voice instantly made him step away from the wall and Wufei and Sally's conversation. "Yes."

"Sir, Miss Relena has asked me to contact you. She would like to see you in her office as soon as possible."

He tensed, "Is something wrong?"

"Sir… I don't know what it is, but something is definitely wrong," she confided quietly.

The comment already had him striding for the door, casting a glance over his shoulder at the other two who stared after him. "I'm on my way."

He strode through the hallway as he clipped the phone back to his side. Hitting the stairway door he picked up his pace, descending the twelve levels as fast as possible. He never bothered to slow down once he hit the first floor, and was through the front door and racing for the connecting tubes. Quickly stepping through the few people between the buildings, he ripped off his ID badge as he opened the front doors of the government building.

Dismissing the pleasantries with the centurions on duty, he swiped his own badge and nearly ran over the officer that hastily opened the blast doors for him. Without a word he hurried up the stairs, taking two at a time until he came out in the third floor lobby.

Dawna stood in her desk area, gazing down the hall toward Relena's office, mindlessly twisting her hands together. Spotting him she sighed to herself as he came up to her. "Thank you, Sir," she stated. "She just got off the line with Ambassador Jonavick," she explained swiping his badge through and punching in his makeshift code. "He's the director of the Mars Terra-forming Project. He calls every other week or so to give her progress updates."

Heero nodded and left her standing at the consol. He tried to force down his breathing, but he knew it wasn't escalated due to the physical activity. Stepping through the open doorway to her office he found her at her desk, her hands folded in front of her. He tossed the door shut behind him and stepped up to the desk, fighting not to let his mind guess at what was wrong.

Relena didn't look up as he stood in front of her and he noticed the knuckles of her laced fingers were white. Not knowing whether to shake her out of her thoughts or not, he stood silent, watching her closely. Slowly she blinked, and looked up, perhaps not realizing he'd been there.

She breathed out sharply, swallowing before she fought back from her own thoughts. She lowered her eyes back to her lightly shaking hands. "Ambassador Jonavick called this morning to say that there was an accident with the Mars project."

He nodded, not moving from his position.

She closed her eyes a moment. "One of the four crew ships was lost."

Heero stiffened, never taking his eyes off of her as she slowly related the conversation.

"They are in desperate need of supplies and a facility to house the remaining crews." She blinked her eyes open and consciously un-knitted her fingers. Looking up at him he knew she was holding back. Prepared for the worst, he waited. "The list of missing crew members will not be in for some time," she whispered.

Zechs and Noin.

She stood up, placing both hands firmly on her desk, and refocused on him. "Heero, I need to get to Jonavick's command center as soon as possible."

The look in her eyes was one he knew very well by this point in their relationship, there was no room for debate, and asking if she was all right was a waste of time. "Understood," he said sharply. Turning he gave her one last look. "Be ready in a few minutes."

Her eyes hardened against her own emotions and she nodded shortly. He strode from the room, not giving Dawna an explanation as he set a quick pace to exit the building. He punched in the extension in his phone as he descended the stairway.

"Officer Ather," it answered.

"Ather, are the other two with you?"

The other paused, probably sorting out the voice. "Yes, Sir. We're in training this morning."

"The three of you are to get Relena to the spaceport immediately."

"Sir?"

"Immediately, Ather," he ordered, pointedly quiet as he passed the front checkpoint.

* * *

Delano hung up his phone and stuffed it back in his bag. "Time to go," he yelled across the firing range to the other two who were still loading their weapons. "We have to get Miss Relena to the spaceport, now."

"Now?" Ry questioned.

Grabbing the bag he raced for the locker rooms. "Now!"

* * *

The Mars command center was a non-orbital satellite, placed in direct line of sight with the red planet. Due to the distance, the only communication between Earth and Mars passed through this point. It also served to coordinate the workers on the project with needed supplies and equipment.

The Mars project was set for two main phases: the colony phase and the actual terra-forming phase. Crews first needed to be able to have a habitable place to live and rest before attempting to change the planet's temperamental balance of atmosphere. Therefore, a small colony, only a few thousand people maximum, was to be built to facilitate the work force. Until this colony was operational, the workers were housed in crowded crew ships.

Only three months into the project, the outer walls of Colony M001 were complete, but power and support systems were undeveloped. Construction was progressing to have a single section of the colony fully enclosed from the rest with its own temporary heat and power systems. This area was to provide the workers a haven with air and supplies while the remainder of the colony was finished and the gravity systems could be turned on. It was arranged to be a zero-g medical bay and quarters.

Without it completed there was nowhere but the other, already stuffed, crew carriers to hold the survivors of the destroyed ship.

A fact that faced everyone standing in the communications room of the satellite as the estimated numbers of lost lives poured through the projection analysis computers. Five hundred, eighty-seven people were housed on the, now destroyed, crew ship. At any time, due to shift changes, approximately three hundred fourteen people could have been onboard….

Heero stood against the back wall of the circular room, his eyes glued on a single spot in the middle. Relena stood beside the ambassador as they both worked through the lists of needed replacement equipment and waited tensely for news to come in.

Her determined expression had never faltered during this mad four-hour rush. As her pet project before the political councils, she felt obligated to be there, and to be the one to break the news to the media once they had all the information. She was also trying to relieve the ambassador of less necessary tasks so that he could focus on rounding out a rescue mission to the planet.

No, a relief mission, he corrected himself.

"Yuy, what do we have?"

He finally blinked, turning to find Sally Po sauntering up beside him. "Nothing new," he answered, waiting for her to explain her appearance.

She nodded, looking over the crowd of people at the communication banks that lined the arc in front of them. "Apparently Commander Une got the call just after Relena did. She wants a team on the first ship out to investigate the matter. Guess who has medical training?" she smiled.

He nodded, understanding the desire to send her on the mission. "Who else?"

"A team of officers, and a few stripes with psychology backgrounds."

"Like him?" he nodded towards the Major that was approaching Relena. She stood stiffly; idle for once, watching the display screens that lined the far wall. Her white pleated skirt and yellow sweater standing out against the sea of gray uniforms and dark suits.

"Yeah," Sally confirmed. "How's she holding up?"

He watched Relena shake hands with the officer as he obviously introduced himself. "Same as always," he stated.

Sally sighed, raising a hand to her hip. "Any news on the two lost sheep?"

He shook his head. "They were listed among the crew onboard. Nothing's come down on injury or missing reports."

"Where there's fire, those two will find it," she shook her head.

Heero watched as Relena continued a small conversation with the Major until the man slowly turned and walked away, a bit befuddled looking. Heero closed his eyes a moment, reasoning to himself. "When do you leave?"

"As soon as they get a ship together."

He looked up, refocusing on Relena's back as she gazed up at the display screens. "She's going to be on it."

Sally snapped back to stare at him. "What? To Mars?"

He calmly gave her a look. "She'll need to go."

She shook her head, "It'll never be allowed. Most of the crews up there are ex-cons on early parole for taking the assignment."

He fixed his gaze back on Relena, listlessly standing in the middle of the room, her shoulders straight and her arms held in front of her.

"It'll never be allowed," Sally repeated, a little louder this time.

"Contact Une and let her know that we're going with you."

"What? Heero, you aren't seriously going to take her."

He turned back to her as the Major walked up to them. "Agent Yuy, Miss Darlian asked me to find you for her. She would like to speak with you."

Not acknowledging the other man he stood away from the wall. "She'll find a way with or without us. I have no intention of leaving her on her own." He stepped away towards the center area. "Make the call."

"Unbelievable."

_No_, he thought to himself, _normal_.

He strode through the workers and slipped up behind her, coming to stand just behind her right shoulder, close enough to not be overhead.

Relena blinked slowly and turned to look back at him. With a swallow she lowered her eyes to the side. "You're not going to like what I'm about to ask," she began quietly. Rubbing a hand against her arm she took a deep breath. "I need to be on the supply ship." Turning forward again she watched the screens for any new reports. "I have training in search and rescue and medical certification. There's no reason that I couldn't be of use."

Heero felt a pang of regret for her as she talked herself into this; but he slowly brought himself to state the obvious. "Mars is a quarter of its orbit away. We're probably two days away at top speeds for a ship that size."

She turned back to look at him, her eyes searching his.

"There will be nothing left to rescue."

Her eyes snapped shut as she turned away, her breathing accelerating as she understood the words.

"Communications will be unstable during the trip. …You'll be out of contact," he reasoned.

Her jaw tightened noticeably before she opened her eyes again, controlling her breathing. "Heero."

He didn't move from his place. Her words from only a few days ago coming to mind again. If she honestly felt he was a strength to her, he wouldn't debate it now. And if she felt better with him beside her… he'd stay.

"I have to take the chance. If there is a panic with the rest of the crews, the whole project would end." She turned her shoulder to brush against him. "This isn't just for me."

He nodded slowly, "Understood."

Looking up, she met his eyes. "I know you do."

Heero held her gaze a moment then stepped back, quickly walked away from her. If Sally didn't get them on the ship, he'd do it himself.

* * *

"She wants to what?"

"I know how it sounds, but Heero's right. If we don't let her go with us, she'll find a way without us."

"Has Yuy lost his mind? He should be the one talking her out of this." Commander Une stood in front of her desk, gazing down at Po's image. This whole situation didn't feel right, and she was certainly not going to allow Relena Darlian to get mixed up in the middle of it… again.

Sally chuckled. "Ma'am, I seriously doubt even he could talk that girl out of anything."

The Lady sighed, closing her eyes against the truth she didn't want to hear. "You're right," she finally consented. She gave her agent a fixed gaze, "I will not bury a politician for this mess. Make sure she's safe."

"Yes, Ma'am."

She shook her head. "And tell Yuy to use some discretion for once."

* * *

Quatre sat at his desk, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had a headache that had slowly gotten worse as the day dragged on. Of course, Duo "dropping by" probably had nothing to do with it. The other young man paced back and forth in front of the desk, babbling on with his "talk" about women in general… and one in particular.

How Duo had come by that tiny bit of information he wasn't sure, but he figured it would have leaked eventually.

The phone on his desk beeped for attention and at this moment Quatre wanted any distraction he could get. "Hello."

"Hello Quatre."

"Miss Relena," he smiled.

Duo finally noted that he was on the phone and almost skipped around to lean over behind him. "Hey, Beautiful! Long time no see."

The woman on the phone brightened at seeing him pop on screen, but Quatre had already picked up her expression. "Is something wrong, Miss Relena?"

She nodded solemnly to the two of them. "I have a very large favor to ask you."

He nodded, noting her solid line of thought. "Of course."

"The Mars colony project had a massive accident last night. They lost a crew carrier and a good portion of the supplies needed to finish the first colony section. Manufacturers for some of the key equipment items are already backlogged due to the project's requirements. You're the only one that I know that might happen to have a few extra pieces lying around."

"Mars?" Duo leaned in over his chair. "Relena…."

She shook her head slowly, closing her eyes a moment. "We don't know any specifics at this point."

The two exchanged a look and turned back to her. "We will be happy to help. If you have a list I will find or borrow anything I can. And I have a crew that's pretty good at reworking anything by now."

She sighed, visually happier with the help. "I dearly appreciate this. I'll get the person working on equipment here to contact you with the specifics."

Quatre nodded, eying her closely. "Do you have a good negotiator?"

"Negotiator?" she blinked.

He smiled tightly, "The manufacturers sometimes need a little extra incentive to bump you up on the priority list."

She shook her head, "I don't know, I don't think so."

He nodded, "I'll get someone on it."

"Thank you," she stated, her eyes saying it again.

"Take care of yourself," he added.

"Yeah, don't do anything I wouldn't," Duo piped in.

She gave them a quick smile and nodded as the connection dropped.

Quatre leaned back and looked up at his friend. "Are you up for getting your hands dirty?"

Duo stood straight and shrugged. "Well, you know, I did waste half the day just to come by here and pick on you about a girl. I'm going to have to check with my scheduling assistant—Of course I'll help," he sighed.

Quatre chuckled and then brought up his phone system, selecting a new number.

"Who you calling?"

"My negotiator."

"Huh?" Duo stepped out of the way as the connection blinked on.

"Hello."

"Morning, Dorothy."

"Evening, Master Winner. What can I do for you?"

He smiled tightly. "I'm going to have a list of necessary equipment that has to be collected… immediately."

"Oh, goody," she mused. "Do I dare ask what blew up this time?"

"Not quite yet," he answered, chuckling nervously.

"Very well, what is it you need?"

"I should have a list for you as soon as possible. But there is going to be some large items… and they aren't willing to share."

"Just the way I like it," she purred.

"I know," he muttered. "I'll email you as soon as I can."

"Ciao."

Quatre hung up and scooted his chair back. Duo lounged on the edge of his desk giving him a curious look and he shrugged to him. "Now do you see why I have her for a partner?"

"Yeah," the other replied, slowly standing up and following after him. "You're nuts."

* * *

"When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it." **- **Edward W. Howe

Proofed by: Silver-Eyed and Lay Hime. Thank you!


	12. Chapter 10

AN: I warn you that I'm not that good with action. But hey, what's GW without something blowing up? So... Readers have been warned.

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Chapter 10

"You can't possibly be serious." Ry stared at Yuy's passive form, his arms crossed and eyes closed as he leaned against the wall in the tiny guestroom. "It takes four officers and a watchdog group to get her to visit her mother, and now she intends to go to Mars! Who comes up with this crap?" he asked incredulously, his voice rising.

Alli stood up from the bed beside him and placed a hand on his back to stop his attempt at pacing, which was more like turning circles between the two beds in the little metal room. "Agent Yuy, what good can Miss Relena really do out there?"

"She has as much medical training as most of the officers going. She will also be instrumental in organizing the remaining work force." He opened his eyes to regard her evenly. "But she's going in order to prevent a riot and termination of the project."

"That's insane!" Ry yelled.

Heero pinned him with a glare for a long moment before continuing. "It's not our job to second guess her."

The statement and the expression were cold. Ry had gotten used to the stoic, albeit calculated, demeanor of his commanding officer, but this was just… unnerving. He had seen the quiet affection that the agent had shown to Relena. Their trip, not even two days ago, more then implanted the idea in Ry that Heero would look after her, orders or not. He had seen the trust that she had held in him. Whatever was going on between the two, it was something that should have had Yuy fighting with all of his scary abilities _not_ to let her go!

"I don't get it," he shook his head. "When did this become just a job to you? Dang it, Heero, she's a friend. How can you let her walk into this?"

Yuy didn't move, but his eyes narrowed even farther, his jaw tightening just noticeably. "It isn't my decision," he stated, each word distinct.

Ry stepped in closer, looking down at the younger man, his blood boiling. Alli's hand on his back turning into a full grab around his waist, but he didn't care. "Not your decision? You are the commanding officer of her security! How can it not be your decision?"

Yuy stepped away from the wall, meeting his eyes with a deadly expression that made Ry flinch back. "My job is only to keep her alive." The low, quiet of his voice didn't betray the anger in his eyes. "My promise is to protect her."

Ry let his own anger die as he watched the agent hold his back.

"I will not allow her decisions to be forced, by me or anyone else." He finally took a glance around at the other two. "If you don't believe it you can leave. I won't have her endangered because you can't understand."

Ry stood straight and swallowed as he came under scrutiny again. He wouldn't let Miss Relena go without a proper guard, and like it or not Yuy wasn't going to stop her. The silence stretched in the room as the four stood still.

"We understand, Agent Yuy," Delano spoke up from behind him. "We will ensure her safety, no matter where that is."

Heero gave them a quick nod before he turned and left, the door sliding shut behind him. At some point Alli's hold had turned into a one-sided hug, no longer attempting to hold him back. Ry merely stared at the door he exited through, hollowed out in the middle. Delano, again, took a seat on one of the beds in silence.

* * *

"That's all we've got for spares."

"Anything else is going to have to come directly out of our operating equipment."

Quatre nodded as he went through the sheets. "There are very few things that we can borrow without jeopardizing this colony in the process. Still, there are things that can be easily replaced." Looking up at the two men who also stared down at the list, he highlighted some of the smaller equipment items. "Take these off-line, and then find a group to go on the parts run tomorrow."

"Master Quatre, are you sure?" Abdul pushed his sunglasses back up his nose.

"It won't harm anything if they get replaced in the next few days. Right now, we need to hurry."

"But Master Quatre, they will have to wait on the larger items anyway, it won't do us any good."

Quatre shook his head at Ahmed. "We're going to take these ourselves."

"What?"

He stared down at the list. Some things would need to be waited for, but they had more than enough of the parts necessary to finish several key systems. "We will let the command center wait for the other items. We will leave as soon as we can get the rest of these loaded."

"Master Quatre?"

"All the way to Mars?"

He nodded. "We have the parts and means to get these projects started before the others get there. We also have a resource ship that can easily house a good portion of the extra crew."

"But who will be left to work here?"

Quatre smiled. "In order to save room, I'm afraid we should find only a small crew to assist me."

"But!"

"No!"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he commented. "I'll leave Rasid in command here."

"I volunteer to go with you," Abdul saluted.

"As do I, Master Quatre."

He smiled, sighing inwardly. "We'll figure that out later."

"Well, sign me up."

The three of them looked up to find Duo leaning over the catwalk above them, absently twirling a clamp around one finger. "Are you sure, Duo? It could be a couple weeks before we get back."

"I'm sure I'll be sorely missed by all of my beautiful landlords, but I'd say you'll need the help," he teased.

Quatre chuckled and nodded. "Tell Hilde I'm sorry for getting you into this."

He shrugged. "She's going to be mad too, I haven't done my dishes since she left."

The three chuckled. "But what are we supposed to tell Lady Dorothy? She's going to boil when she finds out we've donated all of this stuff."

Quatre visually paled. "I'll tell her the truth… just before we leave."

"May I _please_ go with you, Master Quatre?"

* * *

"Vice Minister, you need some rest." The ambassador slowly took the folder out of her hands. "There are a small number of guestrooms here, please take some time off."

"Really, I'm fine," she shook her head.

He smiled understandingly. "Miss Darlian, we will be able to inform the media first thing in the morning, and the supplies should be finished loading by then. There is no reason for you to stay here all evening."

She sighed. Truth be told, her feet hurt and her eyes were burning. Just some time to lie down would be wonderful, but….

Holding one hand up he quieted her comment. "I've already arranged a space for you. And I will inform you of any new developments."

She smiled at the man, appreciating the sentiment. "Thank you."

He nodded.

She turned away from the banks of communications equipment and slowly made her way towards the back. Heero and Sally stood against the wall, continually monitoring the situation. The two watched her approach and Sally smiled teasingly. "Are they finally kicking you out?"

She nodded, feeling a bit awkward at having nothing for her hands to do.

"Well good," she stated. "You have room 112 upstairs."

Relena blinked. "Alright."

Sally stepped over and gave her a one-armed hug around the shoulders. "I'll let you borrow something a bit less… classy," she added, looking down at her skirt.

"The others are heading back to gather some personal effects," Heero added.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't leave with much," she mumbled, feeling a bit drained and self-conscious.

"That's good, come along." Sally forced her around and walked her towards the door, her arm still around her shoulders. Once out of the room the two made their way up the stairs to the next floor. "You sure about going with us?"

Relena regarded the older woman as they found the room and nodded. "I have to, Sally."

The other sighed as she looked at her. "I can understand that, but I do wish you'd reconsider."

Relena gave her a smile and shook her head. "I will be perfectly fine." Spotting Heero coming up the stairway behind them she chuckled. "What could go wrong with you guys here?"

Sally gave her a dubious look. "Relena, everything blows up around this guy, what can't go wrong?" Sighing she turned away, "I'll be back in a minute."

Relena watched her go, chuckling to herself. She watched them cross in the hallway, say something and then head on their ways. Watching the two she distinctly decided that Heero looked very good in uniform. As he paced down the hall towards her she slowly shut her eyes on that line of thought, figuring she had to be tired.

She rubbed at the back of her neck until he stepped up beside her and pressed open the door to the room. Blinking, she decided she could have done that herself, but stepped in anyway. The little room held two cots and a tiny restroom to the side, and absolutely nothing else. "Cozy," she commented.

"It's not much," came the reply from the doorway.

She shook her head, "More than enough." She slumped down to sit on one of the beds and fought for something else to say before he decided to lock the door and leave. "Something tells me the others weren't that happy about the trip."

Taking up the conversation he stepped inside and allowed the door to close behind him. "No."

She smiled tiredly. "They haven't been around me long enough to know this is normal."

"Hn."

The doubts crept in again as she realized that she had too much time to second-guess herself with this decision. "Should I really be going?" she asked quietly. Slowly she looked over to find his eyes watching her.

"That's up to you."

She recognized the blank expression and turned away, knowing she wasn't going to get an opinion to her question. "But it isn't just me this time," she continued, more to herself than to him. "I'm putting you and the others at risk because of my problems." Her hands twisted together in her lap, "I'm being selfish."

Absently she dug the toes of her sandals into the metal decking as she stared down at the floor. She finally blinked when his shoes came into her line of vision and she looked up at him, finding the soft expression to his eyes that she dearly loved to see.

"Selfish?" It really wasn't a question; it was a mild reproach.

Swallowing, she forced a small smile. "Will you still go with me?"

He nodded shortly to her, and Relena felt her eyes sting before closing them to keep them in check. Standing up quickly, she took a step forward, wrapped her arms around him and buried her forehead on his shoulder. She could feel that she'd startled him and smiled inwardly at the reaction, clearing back the tears.

She'd feel stupid for this later; right now, she just didn't care.

She felt his arms slowly find their way around her, his jacket completely engulfing her arms as they lay underneath it. Her hand brushed the holster that crossed his mid-back, and she slowly realized that this was not the same man that she had first met. A surprise hug would have probably gotten her strangled, her neck broken, and then shot for good measure….

It took a good deal of composure not to chuckle at that thought. However, she realized she was pushing her luck with too many of these little affection displays in less than a week's time. When exactly did she come to feel that she'd be allowed to be this close to him?

"They'll be all right," he stated quietly in her ear.

He'd mistaken her actions for worry instead of gratitude…. Her grip on him slipped as her mind turned back to the thoughts that had plagued her all day. "I know," she mumbled.

"But you're still worried."

She turned her head to make her voice heard and softly nodded her cheek against him. "I can't help it." He nodded and she smiled at the simple gesture.

Closing her eyes she found that this was a feeling she never expected to have. The warmth of him against her was addictive; his embrace was the most comforting feeling she had ever known. His breath tickled her neck through her hair and she realized that _he_ was going to have to let go of _her_ this time. She just...

She just needed him.

The odd thought worked its way through her brain until it became the only thing in her mind. She needed him. Needed his strength, needed his resolve. She needed him to be here….

She needed him to care.

When did that happen? Slowly the thought made her open her eyes, although she saw nothing.

Only a couple months ago she was prepared to pick up and move on, secured that she would probably never see him again, but that he would be fine. She had only "needed" to know that he was all right.

Now…. She couldn't let go.

"Relena?"

How did he say her name differently than everyone else did?

Deciding that he had gotten tired of holding her unresponsive form, she shifted her head against him, turning her nose to brush against his neck. His arms didn't loosen though, and he made no move to let her go. Instead he bowed his head towards her, whispering in her ear, his cheek nearly against hers. "Are you all right?"

It was hard to hear with her heart thudding like that. That type of question coming out of Heero Yuy was just… unthinkable. It was a worthless question, an _emotional_ question.

"I'm fine," she ventured, her words coming out as no more than a sigh. How did he always know when her emotions changed like that?

Apparently satisfied with her answer, he lowered his head farther until his cheek brushed hers… and her chest caved in.

She could handle him being receptive to her; she could handle instigating a touch or even a hug. But as his grip on her tightened just a bit, she felt her heart melt. He was so close, so warm….

He cared. Not only cared, but wanted to be there. The full force of the idea that he honestly wanted to comfort her, wanted to hold her, was too much. His breath tickled against her jaw and neck, his body was warm against her, even hot as her arms laced around his back underneath the jacket. His arms around her were….

Slowly she closed her eyes again, her mind shutting down. Her breath kept coming easily even though her chest ached. Relena let herself simply feel him. The way he felt against her, the way he cradled her, his gentle, almost shy, touch.

This is what she would have expected from him… if she had ever expected this. She had honestly found that pure heart of his. The one she could see when he gave her that single, soft look.

The heart she could feel beating in him. She tried to make her breathing shallow, tried to concentrate on the feeling, the addictively comforting rhythm.

Idly she wondered what he was thinking. If he could possibly understand the emotions running through her.

The thought made her smile, the movement just enough to displace his cheek's light embrace on hers. And she regretted that as he softly pulled away, his arms finally slipping just enough. Relena took the hint and removed her head from his shoulder. Pulling back, she stared down at his chest, for some reason afraid to look up into those eyes.

Slowly she met her fate and tilted her chin up to him. His expression was an odd mixture of confusion and that wonderful look.

She couldn't hold back the smile at seeing it. The confusion cleared out of his eyes as they gave away into that kind look, his own quiet smile coming to his lips. They stood still a moment and he blinked his eyes closed, the smile still in place.

A bit shocked she realized that he was… happy.

Had she… did she… was he…. Oh she loved that smile.

He slowly slid his arms away from her and she grudgingly removed hers from around him. He opened his eyes again to give her one more look, finding who-knew-what in her expression. He didn't say a word as he turned away and slipped out of the room.

Relena stared after him until the door closed and locked behind him. She tried to remember what it was like to stand on her own again as she blinked back to full vision. Slowly, she sank down onto the bed and pressed a hand to her heart.

* * *

Dorothy brushed into the Operations building at full pace, an arm full of notes and a briefcase in hand. She paused at the open door to Quatre's office only to find it vacant. Turning down the hall, she wandered into the meeting room to find the same thing. A bit taken aback, she walked down the hall, pausing at each door she came across. Finally she heard voices from the end of the corridor and proceeded into the wreck room.

The sight of possibly fifteen Maguanac men lounging around the front TV stilled her in the doorway. For the amount of replacement equipment she had just begged and cajoled for, they should have all been out fixing something.

With no sign of Quatre, she caught sight of Rasid standing against the back wall, and paced over to him. The older man eyed the television news warily as the group commented and responded to it. Seeing her approach he straightened to greet her. "Lady Dorothy."

"With the list of equipment I got I expected to find the colony on the brink of implosion. Yet, I get here and find it in perfect status, and no one working." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, mildly irritated. "Someone is going to tell me what is going on."

Rasid paused, a bit surprised at her tone. "That is difficult—"

"Humph," she snorted, recomposing herself. "'Difficult' was stripping an air purification system out of the hands of a colony on quarantine, who has been on the wait list for two months. 'Difficult' should not be explaining why."

"Then you have not heard," he nodded, and turned back to the TV screen blaring in the corner of the room. "I assumed Master Quatre had gotten a hold of you before he left."

Her eyes darkened as she waited for the man to explain himself. "I have been preoccupied."

He nodded. "The Mars project ran into difficulties yesterday. They lost one of their ships, which took a portion of the crew and a good deal of equipment with it. Master Quatre was asked to assist in replenishing the lost items…."

The man trailed off, obvious noting her eyes narrow as Dorothy held down the gut reaction. "Which ship?" she asked quietly, not letting the feeling panic her.

"Lady?"

"Which ship was destroyed?"

Rasid shook his head before calling over the crowd. "Has the report said which ship had the accident?"

The room turned to look back at him, "They just said it was called the _Romulus_," someone from the front called out. "This guy's in charge of the other work crew." The man flipped his thumb back at the TV. "This is their recorded feed."

Dorothy finally started to pay attention to the screen as a man spoke into the camera. His brown hair was folded back from a center part, short and neat-kept. His eyes shown the customary light blue, and his beaked nose easily gave him away. Although he was a good five or six years older than she remembered him, the imprinted name at the bottom of the screen was unnecessary.

"Marcus Delmare." Her free hand balled into a fist at her side. "That was no accident." Rasid snapped back to look at her as she stared at the man on the screen. Turning to look up at the second-in-command she fired into action. "Where is Quatre?"

"He and a team are on their way there," he answered, a touch of worry entering his eyes.

"How long ago did they leave? Are they out of communication range?" She flipped on her heel before he answered and left him no choice but to follow her. Striding quickly out of the room she turned down the hall towards Quatre's office.

"They left approximately twelve hours ago, we might be able to strengthen a signal enough to send a message," he added, striding after her.

"Do whatever you have to. They must be warned before they reach the planet." Entering the office she tossed down her folders and briefcase. "Who contacted him?" she snapped, taking a place behind the desk. One of the others entered the office behind Rasid, looking just as totally confused.

"Miss Relena Darlian contacted him. He worked with a man on the Mars satellite for the specifics."

"Miss Relena?" Dorothy mused over the news. She was well aware that Relena had been the one to formally chair the political position of terra-forming Mars. She supposed that this all made some sense. "Do we have a way to contact her on that satellite?"

"Probably not," the other piped up. "When she announced the news she said she'd be going to help in the relief efforts personally."

"We forwarded the information on the missing equipment soon as we got it from you. They were waiting to load those pieces. We can call the contact person that Master Quatre had there, but finding Miss Relena will be difficult," Rasid added. "Lady Dorothy, what is going on?"

She sunk down into the chair, folding her hands together and leaning her chin against them to think. "I was well acquainted with the former Count Delmare," she stated. "Albeit, I wasn't a fan. He was also a rather… un-conservative Foundation member." Casting a look over the men in front of her she narrowed her eyes. "His son is all too similar. That ship's destruction was no accident."

"How can you be sure?"

She closed her eyes with a smirk. "Because the _Romulus_ was the flag ship of the blue building crew. With the chief officers gone, Marcus is now the acting head of the entire project. And that is a very, very large salary," she added pointedly.

"What? How do you know all this?" Rasid asked, leaning over the desk in front of her.

She looked up at him, her emotions boiling. "Because I am one of the financers for the _Romulus_ and the _Remus_. Those were my crews."

The two men snapped back, the implications of her words sinking in.

"Now, find me a way to talk to Quatre. I have no way of knowing how _appreciative_ Marcus will be with their assistance."

The idea that their master may be in danger snapped the men into action as they nearly sprinted out of the office. Dorothy remained where she was, closing her eyes and sorting through the information.

There were far too many players headed to Mars for the stage to be set anywhere else. And, oh how she dearly loved a performance….

* * *

"Millions and millions of years would still not give me half enough time to describe that tiny instant of all eternity when you put your arms around me and I put my arms around you." - Jacques Prévert

Proofed by: Silver-Eyed and Lay Hime. Thank you!


	13. Chapter 11

AN: Quick Maguanac guild: Rasid-captain leader guy. Abdul-sunglasses guy, Ahmed-shorter with mustache, Auda-tall, larger guy. Manul-my own made up character because I ran out of real ones. These will be the ones I name, and I hopefully won't confuse you.

"Manifestations"  
by Isis  
Chapter 11

"All the equipment is double checked, Master Quatre."

"Thank you, Auda."

Duo sat at the table, vaguely watching the crew wonder around, finding something to keep themselves busy with. He yawned, and stretched back in his chair as Quatre took a seat across from him.

"We estimated a fifty-seven hour trip, but I think we can cut that down to fifty-three."

"Oh yeah, that'll be a massive improvement," he sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

Quatre chuckled good-naturedly. "Sorry, I tried to warn you."

Duo shook it off, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Nah. Nice quiet little trip will be fun."

"Master Quatre, we're getting a choppy message from Captain Rasid."

"Huh?" Quatre stood up and propelled himself towards the door.

"We're almost out of communications range, but he's tried three times now."

The man looked a bit befuddled and Duo shrugged to himself, figuring if it was important he may as well follow. Floating along after the two, they entered the bridge, Quatre stopping himself in front of the communications consol. The screen showed nothing but static, but faintly there were words being picked up here and there.

"All we've been able to make out is that it's the Captain, and that he's saying something about Mars."

Quatre shook his head, listening. "Mars… ship… crew… accid-… careful…."

"Maybe there's been another accident?" Duo offered.

The men nodded as the faint message cut out completely. "Whatever it was, Rasid was boosting the signal to get it this far," he commented. "It must be important."

"Should we turn around until we can reach the signal range?"

Duo absently watched the blond consider it but then shake his head. "No, we will keep going. If we haven't figured it out by the time we reach the crew ships we'll see if we can divert a message through their communications equipment."

The men around them nodded, but Duo noted Quatre's worried expression.

Shrugging he slapped Quatre on the back. "Yeah, no use letting a good head start go to waste."

Ahmed leaned over the consol and twitched his mustache as he chuckled. "I bet Lady Dorothy finally showed up and they were calling for backup."

Duo laughed along with the rest of the crew, but he felt Quatre tense. He looked over to find the man wide-eyed. "Dorothy," he whispered.

His expression dropped and Ahmed visually shrunk in front of him. "You did call her before we left, didn't you?"

The poor guy closed his eyes and slumped. "I tried to, but I never got a hold of her, and…." Sighing, he hung his head. "She's going to hurt me."

Duo chuckled merrily at his expense and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Oh, don't worry. You can make it up to her when we get back," he winked.

Quatre looked over at him with a comically deflated expression. "I don't think you know her very well, Duo."

He shrugged. "I don't know her at all. That's your job."

* * *

"It's no use, Sir. They're too far out. I doubt they've been able to make out anything."

Rasid leaned over the console, worry creeping further in. "Very well. Reset the equipment."

The door to the room opened and Dorothy entered, her hair dancing after her. "Have you reached them yet?"

He straightened and shook his head no. "They are too far out of range."

"I see," she mused. "The Mars satellite wouldn't give me the frequency channels to call the supply ship either."

"Surely there is someone on the satellite that we could talk to," he offered.

She turned to gaze up at him, her expression calculating. "What good would that do?"

His jaw tightened involuntarily as her words rang true.

"What else do we have that can reach Mars?"

Regarding her again he attempted to be cautious with his answers. "We have a resource scout ship. It would have enough fuel to get there, but would need to be re-supplied to get back."

"All we need to do is get there," she reasoned, staring up at the monitors along the wall and watched two of them showing the news reports on the "accident."

"Yes," he agreed. Turning to the assembled group, he called over two men and Abdul. "Prepare the ship, we leave immediately."

"I will accompany you."

The rest of the room turned to look at her as Dorothy stood next to Rasid, her hands clasped behind her. Rasid looked down at the young woman with annoyance. "This will not be a job for you, Lady Dorothy."

She turned to look up at him, her eyes expressionless. "This is not a job; this is, very likely, a rescue party."

He turned fully to face her, his towering, hulking form looming over her. "The scout ship is very small. There is only room for four individuals, and it is not fitted for this long of a flight. It will not be comfortable."

She blinked at him, her expression going sour. "Do you believe I will take up too much room?" The obvious slap against his size was a direct attack on his attempt to intimidate her, but there were very few men in the room brave enough to chuckle at the comment.

"I am afraid that you will need to remain here," he stated pointedly.

"If you're so afraid of it, perhaps you should stay behind."

His expression darkened. "Master Quatre would never allow—"

"'Master Quatre' isn't here, Captain," she spat his Maguanac title at him, and his anger rose. "He's on his way to face someone you know nothing about, and he gets closer every moment you argue with me."

He backed down his anger and met her eyes darkly. "The men in this room have sworn an oath to him. You have no such reason for accompanying us."

She tilted her head to the side with a dangerous looking smirk. "Perhaps I don't. But I have the remains of my crew in more trouble than he is out there."

Slowly Rasid's respect for the woman grudgingly grew out of his anger.

"Make me swear anything you like, but I am going with you."

* * *

"I'm Special Agent Sally Po; it is my duty to head up this little mission," she officially introduced herself, one hand at her side as the two stood in front of the table in the abandoned mess hall. "My command will primarily pertain to the medical and collective needs of the stranded crew."

Heero looked over his three teammates, perfectly quiet around the table.

"Since Agent Yuy here volunteered your services, he has taken the position of second in command." She bumped him with her elbow and he eyed her cautiously.

"You will not be general staff on his assignment," he added instead. "Your objective is Relena only. Any commands from Agent Po or any higher officers are secondary to her safety."

The three nodded.

"There is a chance that I will be called away once we enter orbit," he confided. "I will leave you to your own decisions." Eyeing over the group carefully he made his choice. "It will not be as easy as you might expect to protect her."

All three of them gave him a confused stare and he silently closed his eyes.

"Relena has a habit of getting herself involved with the dangerous types," Sally adding, ribbing him with the inside joke. "She's also very good at going where she wants."

"Like to Mars," Ry muttered.

He looked up to eye the man, just in case he decided to have another outburst.

"Sanq, Romafeller, _Libra_, Mars… the girl's good," Sally rubbed her head.

Good. No; devoted, unwavering, stubborn…. "She will find any method necessary. The three of you have to be able to follow her lead."

"Follow her?"

He nodded. "She'll find where she needs to be."

All four of them blinked at him. "Guess there's no locking her in a room and throwing away the key then, huh?" Sally mumbled.

He shook his head. Relena wasn't going to be locked away anywhere. Not when she had this much emotional connection to the task at hand.

"So we should expect her to be exactly the opposite of what we're used to?" Ry snorted, disbelievingly.

Heero looked solidly at him. "You have no idea what she's capable of."

* * *

"'You have no idea what she's capable of.' What the heck does that mean?"

"Ry, would you calm down?" Alli sat in a chair in the tiny observation room next to the sleeping quarters. The room was darkened and the view of stars through the windows was usually a beautiful sight. But she hadn't expected to have to hear this when Ry asked her to meet him here. She'd left Relena alone in the guestroom across the hall, figuring if nothing else that Agent Po would be back shortly.

"Where does the guy get off?" Ry threw up a hand, his voice rising even further. "Like he has any clue 'what she's capable of' either!"

"Ry!" Alli had had it. There was no reasoning with him anymore and she was tired of listening to it. "Shut up, already."

He blinked at her, his green eyes surprised that she'd yelled at him.

"We will do as we are told and everyone will make it out of here again in perfect health. We have no way of knowing what to expect. He's just preparing us for the worst."

He balked at her. "What? You're going in for this line of crap too?" He turned away, "Un-freaking-believable."

"What do you want me to say?" she asked, forcing her voice to be calm. "I can't turn the ship around, Ry. We are charged with her safety. Us. That means we need to be ready."

"Ready? Ready! Alli, the only major threat that I see facing Relena on this ship is him. And when we get there, I figure I'll find it about the same."

"How can you say that?" Alli stared at him. "I may agree that he has a very bad flare for the dramatic, but he is not a threat to her."

"Why, the heck, is she here?" he asked, pointedly.

"Apparently, because she wants to be," she stated in the same tone.

He snorted. "It couldn't be that Mr. Combat was bored and decided this sounded fun. Po slipped up and said he volunteered."

Alli sighed. What was she going to do with him?

"He volunteered because he knew I'd come regardless."

They both turned to find Relena standing in the doorway. Alli jumped to her feet ready to apologize for leaving her in the room alone.

She held up a hand to ward off the comments. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it was kind of hard not to," she smiled.

Alli looked up at Ry and swallowed. "Miss Relena…."

She shook her head, closing the door as she entered and slipped over to take Alli's vacated chair. "It's alright, I understand that you all are a little confused."

"Confused?" Ry repeated. "I'm not confused. I'm just angry."

Relena looked up at him, her eyes worried. "Please don't be."

"Relena," he started, coming over and taking knee in front of her. "Give me one honest answer in all of this."

She nodded.

"Do you actually trust this guy?"

Alli watched as she slowly smiled down at him, her eyes softening. "Completely."

Ry stopped, seeing the same expression she did. "Completely…. With your life?" he clarified.

Her smile turned into a chuckle and she shook her head. Leaning closer to him, she met his eyes. "I trust him with much more than my life, Ry."

Relena slowly turned from him to Alli, the same soft expression to her eyes. There was a lot more to that look than trust, she decided. "What aren't the two of you telling us?" Alli asked quietly, never blinking from the other's gaze.

Relena turned away, an almost sad note creeping into her expression. "There are things that I can't answer," she stated quietly. "What I can say is that Heero and I have more of a connection than you know."

"Why hide that?"

She smiled at Ry and leaned back in her chair. "It wouldn't be good for anyone to unbury the past."

Ry stood up and Alli walked over, taking his hand in hers. "Is there something we should know?" he asked quietly.

Relena blinked. "Not that I can say." She gave them both a reassuring smile. "Heero's used to being on his own. I hope you can work with him a bit better through all of this."

The mild reproach was enough to still both of them.

Standing she looked over the two. "We didn't mean to keep you in the dark. There are just some things that are better left where they are." Slowly she shook her head. "I shouldn't have told you this much, it's not my place. But I want you to understand that you can trust him to know what's best. For me, and everyone else," she added quietly. Turning, she started towards the door, leaving them to their own thoughts.

"Miss Relena…."

She stopped before opening the door and regarded Alli.

"We'll try to be better at this."

She smiled. "I never seem to make things easy."

* * *

"So, Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian. How wonderful of her."

"She will have her own security force with her; it will add to the number of Preventers coming."

"It doesn't matter." The man calmly ran a hand through his hair, perfecting the center part. "They will be glued to her side."

"You're right."

"Such an interesting girl. I will be fascinated to meet her." Tapping a pen against his desk he leaned back, placing the data pad down again. "What a wonderful opportunity to host her here on Mars." Standing up, he walked around the desk and stood in front of the woman who lounged on the other corner, absently filing her nails.

"Don't you think she'll cause problems?"

Looking down at her youthful countenance, he ran an eye over her shoulder length blond hair, currently tied back into a tight twist. She always was a beautiful girl—woman, he corrected. At nineteen, he of all people would not consider her a child.

"Not at all, Ferra," he soothed, placing a hand on the desk on either side of her and leaning down. "She will make one of her heart wrenching speeches and unify the workers to double production times."

The woman nodded, her spotted hazel eyes still on her nails. "That will be nice, Marcus," she agreed.

"Yes. So I want you to be especially hospitable to her," he smiled, leaning in towards her.

She jerked back, pointing the metal file at his throat. "I'm not finished."

* * *

"We will give you all privacy possible," Rasid commented as the four of them entered the ship and closed down the hatch. Dorothy had reduced her luggage to one bag and her wardrobe to a sensible pair of shoes, slacks, a white tank top and the fitted jacket that she had worn this morning. One must be ready for anything.

"Please, I am one of your soldiers as long as I am under your command," she bowed slightly. "I do not need any special treatment."

Scanning the ship she found that they were going to become very good chums during the flight, she may as well make a good start. The main section had four consoles: flight, navigation, communications, and scanning sensor banks. This was a scout ship; its use was in finding something hard for humans to see naturally.

The living section was…. Well, it was four bunks, two per wall, top and bottom. Curtains cut off the views and noise from the outside, as well as preserving just a bit of privacy. A small kitchenette was set in the back with a liquid dispenser and small refrigeration unit.

…She was going to hurt Quatre for this.

"Have you ever flown anything like this, Lady?" he asked, motioning to the control systems.

She stepped over, familiarizing herself with the board. "Not really. But it looks like I will catch on if need be."

Rasid nodded. "Abdul, start us out."

The man's perpetual smirk turned into a full smile as plopped down in the seat, his sunglasses hiding what she would assume to be excitement. "Yes, Sir!"

"We will work in two shifts, allowing time for each team to get some sleep. Abdul, assist Lady Dorothy, Manul and I will take the second shift." The burly man gazed down at her a moment. "We will have nothing to do for a while. If you would like to rest, it would help you adjust to shipboard time."

She favored the man with a smile for the grudging show of concern, but shook her head. "It would be best if I observed the controls to familiarize myself."

"You can sit next to me, Lady, I won't bite," Abdul offered, not really turning from the controls.

"I never worry about being bitten," she returned playfully, taking the offer and placing herself in the navigation seat next to him. She studied his movements with the monitors at the front of the cockpit area, comparing them to what she commonly knew of standard shuttles.

Rasid and the other soldier moved to the back, securing items and the luggage as the ship disengaged from the colony's holding arms. The first taste of 1/6 gravity turned her stomach slightly, but it easily wore off.

"You're awfully brave for wanting to go with us," Abdul commented low enough that the others didn't hear him.

She glanced over at the Maguanac soldier and decided she could come to like him yet. "I am no braver than you."

He shook his head as they moved toward the exit hatch, slowly creeping out into the ink of space. "From what you said to the Captain, you're a lot braver than I am," he let the glasses fall down his nose far enough to give her a wink over the top of them.

Dorothy chuckled at the display. "Well, I hold you men as upstanding. I may have been a bit more fearful if I were you too."

He chuckled as he finished his maneuvers and pushed the throttle up. Her stomach lurched again until their speed caught up with her. No turning back now.

"Excuse me, Lady Dorothy," Rasid stated. "We'll need to lay in the course."

She left her seat and instead took the place at the unused scanning controls. "What will our travel time be?"

Rasid worked at the consol a moment and then leaned back, staring up at the projected course. "Estimated at forty-seven hours. Master Quatre's ship had estimated fifty-seven. With a fifteen hour head start we will still arrive behind them."

"Wouldn't that get us close enough to send a ship to ship message?"

Rasid thought for a moment. "Probably not. Our closest approach will be when they are already docking with the Mars fleet. We could give them away if we do get a message through."

"And that's if Master Quatre doesn't save a few hours here or there," Abdul piped in.

Rasid sighed to himself in the front seat, crossing his arms over his chest. Dorothy sympathized with him. They had two days to sit here and do nothing but worry. "Regardless of whatever plans Marcus may have, he will need the parts and supplies they're bringing," she said.

The three men turned to look at her.

"He's already expecting the help," she explained. "It would make sense to show his good will by welcoming them."

"Then they'll be fine."

Her eyes narrowed. "Unless they find something that they aren't supposed to."

"Evidence of the 'accident.'"

"Exactly," she sighed.

"I don't get it," Abdul shrugged. "What could he possibly hope to gain by using this to take over the workers? Now he's reliant on help from Earth, and they have an entire ship of Preventers on the way."

"Marcus was never good at strategy. This was improvised." Dorothy sat at the station, slowly tapping her nails against the metal, one hand propping up her chin. "What were you afraid of?" she whispered, a glint of challenge in her eye as she watched the screens.

* * *

(_flashback_)

The blue light of the screen produced the only light in the room as the man leaned over the keyboard. Through the flickers of the screen, files were being copied and stored to a disk. The man's icy blue eyes didn't blink as he searched through the folders and subcategories, looking for exactly what he needed.

The access codes had been very hard to come by, and security was too tight, anyone could give him away. He had to be careful or they would find a way to get rid of him.

The screens flipped by as fast as they could. The financial reports sent back to Earth…. He needed the real ones, the ones that determined where the funding was actually going.

Sharp notes of voices were heard from the hallway and he narrowed his eyes, focusing on the last few folders to check. Finally he hit the right information. Quickly he burnt it onto the disk, eying the door as the sounds grew louder, words now carried over the vibration on the metal decking. The next shift would be going on in a matter of minutes.

The disk beeped its completion, and he nearly cursed the small sound that seemed to echo in his head. Popping it out he turned off the monitor and pushed himself off the floor, floating back to the wall in the dark room, quietly waiting to see where the voices would go. They passed by, just on the other side of the wall, and went on, turning down the next row.

Letting his breath out he made his way to the door, listening for any indication of life on the other side of the wall. Confident, he pushed the door open and stepped out, then took off down the hall the way the others had, placing the disk in the utility pocket of his work suit.

* * *

"Agent Yuy?"

Heero looked up, finally acknowledging Ry walking up beside the table. The mess hall was deserted during the off-shift, and it was usually a quiet place for him to concentrate on the information vaguely pulled out of the Mars reports… among other things. Eyeing the officer he decided that this might not be a pleasant conversation.

"Can I interrupt?" he asked.

Heero nodded and motioned for him to have a seat.

"I… wanted to apologize for my earlier behavior," he started, finding the tabletop interesting. "I had no right to question you like that. And I understand that you are looking after her welfare as well as the rest of us."

It sounded a bit rehearsed, but Heero found the man's expression sincere. Actually, he looked rather…. "What did she say?"

Ry finally took the seat offered and then snapped his head up to look at him.

Heero scooted the laptop to the side, leaning back in his chair. "It's getting easier to discern her influence."

The man slumped in his seat across from Heero. "Do you two psychically share brain cells? Honestly, because you can tell me."

Heero shook his head. That would be far too easy.

Ry sighed to himself, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling. "She may have mentioned something to us. But the fact remains that I shouldn't have needed the talking to."

"Your discipline is lacking."

Ry brought his gaze back down to look at him, and then rubbed a hand behind his neck. "And you're annoyingly honest." He sighed, rolling his eyes, "I just don't like this."

Heero paused a moment. If he revealed too much, questions would come up. But if they were going to follow him into this, it may be best if they understood. "I don't like it either."

Ry eyed him, "So what's the real reason we're out here?"

"Mostly what I've already told you."

"Plus?" he prodded.

"Plus, she has family on Mars." He hoped he wasn't betraying her by saying that.

"Family?" Ry stared confused at him. "What family? All she has is…." He started, "Her brother? I thought he was dead."

"So does everyone else." Heero closed his eyes, wondering why he was always so tied to Zechs' fate.

Ry blew out a whistle and shook his head. "Boy, that sucks."

Heero gave his officer an amused expression, finding that statement overly simplified, but correct.

"How do you know all this stuff?" he asked quietly.

He eyed him a moment before turning to face the windows beside them. "We've known each other longer than we told you."

"I've sorta figured that out," he mumbled.

Heero didn't turn back to him. Their whole forsaken past came up in his mind, and he felt that same dread that always accompanied it.

"I wasn't right when I asked you how you could let her come, was I?" Heero turned his eyes back to regard Ry. "I called her a friend… but that doesn't really cover it, does it?"

He stopped, his expression obviously showing surprise at the question. Friend? How should he know? There was still vocabulary that just didn't find a rightful place in him yet. No, Relena didn't fit in with the group that he could be persuaded to call his friends. But what he would classify her as, he didn't know.

A smile formed on Ry's face as he looked away blankly. "I didn't figure that could be all one sided."

Heero blinked.

"That undying trust she seems to have in you…" Ry chuckled, and turned back to him. "I hope, for her sake, that it's well founded."

* * *

"When you really trust someone, you have to be okay with not understanding some things." - Real Live Preacher

Proofed by: Taurus II and Silver-Eyed. Thank you!


	14. Chapter 12

AN: For Rinny and all: Marcus Delmare is my own character; however Count Delmare was in the original series, pretty minor Romafeller part though. Just to not confuse you.

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Chapter 12

"Lady Dorothy?" Rasid had his hands clasped behind his back as he stood in front of the green curtained bunk. There was a rustle and then a sleepy mumble before a hand slipped out from under the curtain, raising it just far enough for her head to poke out.

"Sorry," she stated, blinking the sleep from her eyes. "Was I snoring?"

The reference was well timed as a loud snore was heard from the bunk below her; Abdul seemed happily oblivious to their conversation. Rasid shook his head instead, "I'd like you see something."

She nodded and then tucked her head back into the bunk. Rasid paced back to the controls to wait. He was surprised to find her by his side only seconds later, still rubbing at her eyes. She was clad in a white tank top and a pair of baggy pants, her feet bare on the metal decking. Idly she combed her hair out with her fingers, a lone ponytail held it together at the center of her back.

He blinked at her a moment before he specifically turned back to the monitors. "It seems we are making much better time than the larger supply ship from Mars command."

"Does that mean that we'll catch up to them?"

"It means we will pass them and probably arrive three to four hours ahead."

She blinked up at him. "What about a ship to ship communication?"

He nodded. "That is exactly what I was thinking. We'll have about a four-hour window as we go past to send and receive messages. The trouble is who to contact."

Dorothy paused, staring blankly at the monitors as she thought. Her eyes were tired looking and a bit red. None of them had rested much since they started and she was no exception. By now, she was worn down.

"If we try to talk to Miss Relena, they will think we're a bunch of die-hard reporters."

"But we don't know who else we can trust on the ship," he countered.

She sighed. "Yes, we have no way of knowing if anyone is working with Marcus on this little venture. However," she closed her eyes with a smirk, "where there's a queen, there's a court."

"Huh?"

"And where there's Miss Relena, there are Preventers… and Heero Yuy." She stepped over and took a seat at the empty scanning consol, raising a hand to rest her chin on. "Can we encode a message?"

"Yes," he answered, watching her mind casually work at the problem.

She slowly drummed the nails of her free hand against the metal. "I don't suppose you know of anything that the Gundam pilots used during the war?"

Rasid shook his head. "I don't think they actually had anything in common."

She sighed. "We may have to take the chance that the operator will take the message directly to Miss Relena without reading it first."

"Does it matter if he's seen it before?" Manul asked, bored but keeping an eye on his piloting instruments. "What code can't he break?"

Rasid exchanged a glance with Dorothy who slowly gave him wicked smirk. "You're absolutely right." Standing she returned to his side. "How long until we can make real-time contact?"

"A little under an hour."

"Perfect," she cooed. "Please put together a message and encode it in whatever you happen to know. We're far enough out still that the infamous Yuy will have it solved well before they arrive."

"But how do we ensure that he gets it?" Rasid turned to watch her glide back to her bunk.

"You leave that to me," she smiled.

He turned to find Manul giving him a dubious look, and he shrugged, setting to work on the message. Encoding it was the easy part, and Rasid specifically used a harder numeric combination. If Miss Dorothy could really get it in his hands, then there was no need to worry.

A little later she was back in the control section, properly dressed and doing her hair with an actual brush. The lady was more than resilient. She masked her restlessness easily, her presence commanding even as she stood behind him. Perhaps he was beginning to understand Master Quatre's desire to look after such a woman.

"We should be in range now," Manul reported.

"What's up?" Abdul yawned, his hair tousled.

"Just discussing your somnoplasty," she muttered.

He gave her an odd look and then added his usual sunglasses. "How did you know about that?"

She turned fully to look at him curiously.

"We should be ready in a few minutes," Rasid interrupted before Abdul had the chance to retell that story.

"Very well. Let's get started. With a little luck, we might even get an answer before we run past them."

"Past who?" Abdul looked confused.

Dorothy shook her head and then walked over and took his elbow. Leading him over, she sat him down at the empty helm station. "Be a good boy and stay quiet," she cooed, patting him on the head. He shrugged at her and then made a pillow out of his arms and slumped over the consol.

Retracing her steps, she came to stand behind Rasid at the communications consol, placing herself in the camera view. He nodded to her as he flipped the transmitter on.

"Mars command supply ship, please come in."

There was a moment of silence and then she repeated the call.

A face finally appeared in the screen and she smiled down at the viewer. "This is supply ship _M13_."

"This is a Winner Mining scout ship. We are approaching your position and will soon overtake your ship. Our destination is also the Mars fleet."

The man in the viewer nodded. "What can we do for you Miss?"

She tugged a piece of her hair behind her ear as it hung down from her bent position over the helm. "We are a separate part of the Winner resource ship already ahead of us. We left late from our colony with other needed information. Along with that, we have a message for the Vice Foreign Minister, Relena Darlian. She was the first to contact us with the need for equipment. Is there any way that we could speak with her?"

The man's face visually hardened. "I'm afraid not. If you have a message I can attempt to get it to her."

She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "I was afraid of that." The man on the screen blinked at her. "Well, I suppose that it will have to be enough." She looked up and then leaned in closer to the camera. "Can I count on you to deliver this message to her?"

The man faltered momentarily. "I will do my best, Ma'am."

She blinked and backed away a bit. "It's just that this is of a… personal nature for Miss Relena, and we need to be able to get it to her before they connect with the crews on Mars. Can you understand that?"

The helmsman blinked at her again. "Personal nature?"

Dorothy closed her eyes sadly. "I'm afraid that I can not go into the details, but please, I need your word that she will receive this message while she is still… out of the public eye."

The man visually started. "Is it serious?"

She looked up, directly at the man. "Yes, I am sorry to report that it is." Her voice betrayed a hint of sadness, and the expression that she turned to the camera betrayed more than a little worry.

The man on screen recomposed himself and nodded sharply. "You may be assured that I will personally get your message to the Vice Foreign Minister."

The Lady broke a grateful smile. "Thank you. I dearly appreciate your efforts in this matter."

He smiled back to her, a small puff of pride coming to his shoulders.

"We will transmit the message momentarily."

He nodded. "Very well, thank you scout ship."

"No," she smiled, "thank you."

The connection cut and she straightened to turn a triumphant smirk to the other three. Rasid looked up at her, a bit shocked. Manul shook his head in her direction, and Abdul itched his nose as he dozed on the consol.

"Never underestimate coattails… especially those of a young lady," she smirked, placing her hand on her hip.

"That was fantastic," Manul stated chuckling.

Rasid nodded, wondering exactly what this woman was truly capable of. Maybe that was the other reason Master Quatre kept watch on her….

* * *

Entering the mess hall, Heero easily picked out Relena at a table near the back of the room next to the observation windows. Across the table was a Major conversing with her. Glancing around he found his team watching from a couple tables away. With the amount of papers laid out in front of her, he guessed they were giving her some space.

He nodded to the others, and got the same for acknowledgement. Sliding up to the table, he stood at her side, giving the Major a customary look over. Same one, well he was persistent.

Relena looked up with a smile at his approach, using the excuse to ignore the other officer. The Major stood from his seat. "Agent," he smiled politely. Heero didn't return it, and the man lost a bit of his composure. "Well," he turned back to her, "I will leave you to your work. Good evening."

The man smiled at her, gave Heero a nervous glance, and slipped away; both of them watching him go.

With a sigh, Relena leaned back in her chair. "How many psychologists did they send on this ship?"

So she'd figured it out. "Four."

"Ah, on to round two then," she mumbled, rubbing at the center of her forehead.

Taking the seat to her left he glanced at the paperwork. "News?"

"No," she shook her head. "We haven't gotten the line of sight to work yet. These are just some of the old reports and personnel records. I'd like to know who I get to talk to."

He listened to her voice more than to what she said. Aside from sounding tired, she seemed all right. He wasn't exactly sure why he felt it was important to see how she was doing. He knew how she was doing. She had a friend and a brother, albeit Zechs Marquise, on the list of crewmembers for the destroyed ship. She had her most prized project about to fall apart, and she had four psychologists to talk to about it.

She was stronger than that.

But he just wanted to make sure.

Seeing her emotions aboard the satellite had been enough to make him worry. And that was enough to draw him back to her side even when he didn't really need to be there.

It may have been just a small breakdown, fatigue driven he assumed. But she had responded to him, had been confident enough in him to show her fears. Her breathing had gone rapid, and he had forced himself to figure out something to do for her.

She had responded to his question, and had let her breathing ease when he asked if she was all right. More than her words, that had told him her emotions changed. She had unconsciously strengthened her grip around him and he had done the same, wanting to comfort her if he could.

He didn't understand it. Had nothing to compare it to. But she needed him, he could feel that… and he wanted her close. He had admonished himself later for abandoning his better reason for desiring her touch like that, but he had apparently done something right.

Her smile was all he needed to see to know that. A genuine smile, just for being there for her…. For allowing himself the feel of her.

Pushing back the memory yet again, he glanced out the window and silently waited to see if she had anything else on her mind. He didn't have to wait long before she shuffled her papers and shook her head. "What does the color blue have to do with anything?"

He brought his attention back to her, her expression annoyed.

"I've been asked twice what I think of blue."

Her incredulous look forced his expression to soften. "It's your favorite color."

Her expression softened too as she nodded absently to his response, and then blinked, her eyes turning confused. She didn't get the chance to ask how he knew that before a communications office approached them and bowed to her. "Vice Foreign Minister."

"Yes?"

He handed her a data pad, his smile a bit nervous. "We received this about an hour ago from the Winner scout ship. They said that it was important to get you this message."

She nodded, taking the pad. "The scout ship?"

"Yes, Ma'am. They are alongside now. With their faster speed they should arrive at the fleet ahead of us."

"Thank you," she said, giving the pad a glance.

"You're welcome, Ma'am." The man stood there a second too long and then remembered to excuse himself.

Heero watched the man move back across the room before he turned back to her as she brought the screen up. "Winner?"

She nodded absently. "Yes, I contacted Quatre for help with the replacement equipment and parts. I got a message from the person who worked with him that they were sending a crew on a carrier ahead of us." She looked up at him, "But their resource ship left hours before us."

"That was the Maguanacs," he confirmed, filing the information.

She shook her head, turning back to the pad. "I don't know what made them send a scout ship after us, but I don't think this is to me."

Handing it over, he took it from her. The screen was up with a header reading 'privacy encoded, authorization required.'

"Something you and Quatre worked out?" she asked.

Scanning the encrypted information he shook his head. "No. But he must have known that I'd be here."

"So they sent a message that only you can open?"

He looked up to meet her eyes, the suspicion showing easily in her as well. "Stay close to the others," he demanded, rising and taking the pad with him.

* * *

Heero stood in the observation room across the hall from the one Relena shared with Sally and Alli. The room was perpetually dim so that the stars could be seen through the windows. The ship was down to a skeleton crew, and it was near silent. It would probably be the last chance to rest before they docked.

But he didn't figure he'd be getting much sleep.

The door opened and Sally walked in behind him. "Well isn't this a cozy little spot."

He didn't reply to the small talk as he turned and placed his back against the windows.

"Well, aside from her taste in men, Relena has a clean bill of psychological health. However, I've had a few inquiries as to your last check up." She seated herself sideways in one of the chairs, hanging her legs over the arm. "What have we got?"

"We received a message from Rasid Kurama of the Maguanac Corp. Apparently Quatre and Duo are both on the carrier ahead of us with part of the equipment."

"How'd those two get in on this?"

"Relena called for help from Quatre with the replacement list. It must have gone from there."

"OK, so we get a Gundam reunion out of the deal. Wufei's going to be jealous," she smiled.

Heero closed his eyes and shook his head. "Rasid and a group went out after them because they have information on the remaining crew commander."

"Delmare?"

He nodded. "Son of Count Delmare of the Romafeller Foundation. I've been able to dig up that the Count died about a year ago, natural causes. But his entire fortune was in the war effort, especially with the mobile doll project. When it died, so did he."

"And so his son's inheritance went out the window, and he moved to Mars."

He nodded. "There is someone who doesn't believe that the other command ship's destruction was an accident."

"Who?"

He opened his eyes to look at her. "Dorothy Catalonia… his forth cousin."

"And she factors into this because…?"

So Sally had never had the pleasure of meeting the Lady. "Some of us are acquainted with her. She's now Quatre's business partner, and she apparently has a financial interest in the crew that just lost a ship."

Sally blinked and then moved a hand to rub her head. "So she's stating that she thinks her long-lost cousin sabotaged her command ship. Sounds like a bad family rivalry to me. Especially with Romafeller involved."

Turning, he gazed out the window beside him. "I don't think she would do that."

"You know her personally?"

That fencing battle was certainly personal…. "No. But with Quatre's team ahead of them, I'd say she's reliable."

"Ah, that sounds like history," she smirked.

Glancing back to her, he wondered if she ever got tired of that. "She would at least want to protect a partner."

Sally sighed. "Alright. So we believe the information. Where does that leave us? Half of our mission is to assess the cause of the explosion anyway. Even if it was purposeful, the evidence is surely gone by now, the crime scene could have been picked over a hundred times. And I doubt that there would be a clean fingerprint of who was responsible even if not."

"We need to look into Delmare himself."

She started. "How are we going to justify that?"

He closed his eyes again, "We'll have to stumble onto something."

* * *

"Mars crews, please come in. This is Winner resource ship _Star Grazer_, on supply mission from Mars command. Please respond."

"_Star Grazer_." A young woman's face appeared on the screen in front of the crew, her blond hair pulled back into a short ponytail, a brown sleeveless top fitted close to her, and her hazel eyes smiled from the screen. "This is crew command ship, _Fuga_.…You're early."

* * *

Quatre watched over the bridge as they docked up against the unfinished Mars colony. A crew from the _Fuga_ was manually connecting docking clamps on the outside of the ship. A few of his own crew, along with Duo, were already suited up and ready to help move the equipment and supplies into the colony section.

He had agreed to wait for the representative from the command vessel to come abroad. The ship rocked gently just before they received the confirmation that the locks were in place. But there was something nagging at him uneasily as the bridge all but cleared out as the men went to work moving and arranging the parts they had brought.

It was a feeling in his heart that he hadn't felt for months now.

He took a long look at the outside monitors that showed the bulk of the foreign red planet. He eased over to the communications helm and pulled up the messages recorded from Rasid on their way here. He paused just a moment and then cleared them out of the log, carefully erasing the backup copies as well. Something just made him think he should….

The door behind him opened and he found Ahmed ushering in the same woman he had talked with. Carrying her helmet she unzipped her suit to her waist and shook her hair out, the ponytail gone. "So, I am to assume that you are the one they refer to as 'Master Quatre,'" she stated, pulling off her glove and extending her hand.

He nodded, giving her a smile. "Quatre Raberba Winner," he stated, shaking her hand and finding her grip a bit stronger than necessary. "Please just call me Quatre."

She nodded. "I am, now, the chief foreman here. Please call me Ferra."

"We arrived as soon as possible. I'm afraid that some of the larger equipment is still on the way though." He tried to shake off the reference to "now."

She placed her gloves in her helmet and lounged the items against one jutted hip. "Yes, we have the packing slips," she smiled. "The rest will be along with the Vice Foreign Minister's ship. We estimate her arrival in thirteen hours. Plenty of time to get started."

"Vice Foreign Minister?" he started.

She cocked an eyebrow and nodded. "You must have left before she announced she was coming along."

"We must have," he smiled apologetically. If Miss Relena was on the supply ship, then so was Heero. One of them obviously felt it was necessary to come here as well. Maybe that was the message that Rasid was trying to send. But it didn't matter now, and he chose to keep a strict yes and no policy on relating to anyone here that he was personally connected to either of them.

"It's very nice of her," she murmured. "Perhaps it will help moral. We appreciate your help with this as well, and on behalf of all of us, we dearly thank you for your efforts," she bowed.

"It was all we could do," he stated, waving off the thanks. "Myself and my crew are ready to assist in any way that we can."

She nodded, a bit surprised. "Thank you, but I have the man-power, just not the parts. What is your area of experience?"

Quatre tried to not take offense to the quick look-over. "Resource mining and colony fabrication."

"Well," she stood taken aback, "maybe there is a nice place for you." Turning to look at the monitors still showing the red planet, she sighed. "My mentor was on the _Romulus_ when it happened. This position use to be his…."

"I see," he stated quietly. The sheer number of those who died in this orbit was bound to affect everyone very personally. "Have you determined the cause yet?"

She shrugged. "I haven't heard. I have been very preoccupied with getting us running again. Personally, I don't care. Whatever happened is done now. Nothing's going to change that."

The statement was bitter, and he couldn't help but think that she had a number of un-resolved problems. "I'm terribly sorry for your losses."

She nodded, taking the gloves back out of her helmet and started to put them back on. "Thank you, but I had best be out directing traffic."

"Of course. What area can I assist with?"

"The most important, and the most lacking system, is the air circulation equipment. I realize that the purification portion is still coming, but I believe we can have the rest assembled and waiting by the time it arrives."

He nodded sharply. "With your permission, we'll get started right away."

She chuckled low as she turned towards the door. "By all means, Mr. Winner. We can deal with the personnel issues a bit later, right now I need all of the crews I can call out, and the injured I don't want to move."

"Agreed."

She smiled again, zipping her suit back up. "I will introduce you to the Commander when we get the chance, I'm sure he will want to thank you as well."

* * *

"You should have expected her."

He wasn't in the mood for the sing-song in her voice. As he leaned over the hacked consol, Zechs Marquise closed his eyes on the report. "Thirteen hours."

"How do you intend to get to her?" Noin stood with her arms crossed and back against the wall, the helmet of her suit making her voice fuzzy.

"We can't take the chance of them holding her hostage."

"Marcus doesn't do hostages, he does accidents," she reminded him.

Straightening he turned his visor towards her. "We can't take the chance of being caught now."

"She's worried," came the same tone. "That means she'll start looking."

"The Preventers aren't that stupid."

"She's on a ship to Mars. Face it," she sighed, "they've gone down hill since we left."

The mild chuckle didn't settle his stomach any. "We can't let them know we're alive until we reach her ship."

"What about the crew that just docked?"

"No information on them yet, but I doubt they will be able to help us. We must not get anyone else involved."

"So we sit and wait."

He nodded, the decision gnawing at him. What idiot would let Relena get onboard a ship to this miserable place?

"You should have expected her." That was going to get annoying.

* * *

"Wow, you don't get a view of this very often." Duo floated alongside the _Star Grazer's_ hull, enjoying the view of the sun skirting around the edge of the red planet. "I got'a bring Hilde back here."

One of Mars' moons was highlighted against the skyline, its cratered surface looking rather familiar. Yeah, the colony here was too close to the planet, revealing too much of the surface as a lifeless wasteland. That's too bad.

"Alright, alright, back to work," he mumbled to himself, giving just a puff of his fuel pack to get him back to the opening of the cargo hold. Getting one hand on the bottom of the opening, he used his momentum to swing himself up and over, doing a zero G flip into the nearly empty hold. Meeting the floor again with one knee he glanced around at the room, his smile staying in place.

A bunch of people may have died out here, but that wasn't any reason for him to not have a little fun. Standing up he pushed himself off towards the next crate in line and began working at its bindings.

It started as static in his close range earpiece, and then voices. He looked up over the crate to see three Mars workers enter the hold, their blue suits in contrast to the grays he and the Maguanacs had.

"All of them, all at once?"

"They can't be all connected."

"All I know is that they're too quiet for me."

"'Hoy! How about a hand?" he waved them over. The three changed direction towards him, ending their conversation. "If it's too quiet, just let me know. My group's been trying to shut me up through the whole trip."

Bracing himself against the crate behind him, he used his leg to gently push their box off its pad and forcing it to float free.

"Don't mind us. We're all just a little shook up," one stated, helping him to stow the tie-down straps.

"Hey, I'm sure you are," he sympathized as the other two worked the crate out of the ship and towards the colony access hatch. "Any ideas yet on what happened?"

The other man shook his helmet at him. "They haven't said a word. Some of us were there to help out the survivors, but even we don't know what would have blown like that."

"Major explosion, huh?" Duo took a look around himself. "There isn't a whole lot on most of these ships that can do that. They're pretty meticulous about non-combustibles when they make these things."

"Yeah. We know." The man turned towards him. "Mars has had a bad reputation since we got here. Some say he just doesn't want us staying."

"You mean there've been other problems?"

"We've been accident prone since we started." The man began working with the next tie-downs on one of the generators behind them. "And then… the crews are pretty bad off."

"'Bad off?' You mean overworked?"

"No." The other turned around the edge of the generator to look at him. "I mean we've been loosing members. A lot of little accidents, and after this…." He sighed, "We lost fourteen people to suicide."

"What?" Duo started. "Now, I know that you guys could probably be pretty close by now, but I'd say that's unreasonable."

The other nodded. "So do we."

He helped push the generator off the pad and then paused to look at the worker. "What exactly are you saying," he asked quietly.

The man shook his head. "I'm not saying anything at all." His helmet swiveled to look at him directly. "But if I were you, I'd get your friends away from this war god as soon as you can."

"Humph," Duo raised both hands in mock-surrender. "The god of war hasn't met his match until now, my friend."

The man just shook his head and steadied one side of the generator. "Funerals ain't pretty out here, kid."

Duo helped the other to work the oversized hunk of metal through the colony airlocks and into its new home. He excused himself as others set to work on bolting it down and connecting it. Taking off, he slowly crossed the first development section, stopping here and there to tinker with problems as they came. Finally he ended up in the building housing the air systems and found his way inside.

The team was working at running power for the equipment before the parts could be placed in permanently. After being directed around the building twice, he finally found Quatre crouched half under a power grid calling up readings to his group above.

Scaling down between the sensor banks and the wall, he came up behind him as they finished up. Bonking him on the back of his helmet a couple times he got him to turn around in the crapped space.

He shook his head, obviously trying to get the ring out. "Duo!" he grumbled.

He chuckled merrily to himself, holding a cross-legged pattern just off the floor beneath them. Now that he had his attention…. He reached up to change his helmet frequency to direct speech and waited for the blond to do the same.

For his part, Quatre braced himself from floating up with one hand against the wall, and changed his helmet over as well. "Duo, what's wrong?"

"I think there's a few more things going on around here then we thought there was."

Quatre took a quick survey of the surrounding area to make sure they were clear before he turned back to him. "What do you mean?"

"Apparently this isn't the first accident out here, it's just the biggest."

"What?"

"Yeah, seems they've been loosing people since they started. And since the ship went down, fourteen suicides."

Even through the helmet Duo could tell he shocked him. "That's terrible."

"Yeah, some of the guys out here aren't buying it. And I've got a funny feeling maybe they're right. I think something's up."

"There's not much we can do if there is."

He smiled. "Sure there is! We just need to take a peek in the right places."

"Duo, we're guests here."

He rolled his eyes. "Quatre, come on, something's up and I want to know what it is. And if it sunk a whole crew ship, we might want to figure it out before their 'bad luck' rubs off."

The other nodded. "I understand, but can you wait a little while?"

"Huh? Why?" He wasn't that in-dispensable.

"Heero and Miss Relena are on their way here."

"They're what!" His unthinking reaction was enough to toss him into the wall beside him and he fought to stop himself. "What is that guy thinking? Why are they coming?" He stopped, "How'd you know?"

"Ferra, the foreman here, told me. She said they were thirteen hours away when we docked."

Duo sighed. "Maybe they have a clue what's going on."

Quatre shook his head. "I don't know. I get the feeling that the message we missed from Rasid was important."

"Yeah, maybe they forgot to tell us to pack a change of ammo."

Quatre levered himself against the wall. "Let's get back to the ship. We'll call it a shift and see what we can do from there."

Duo nodded and followed after him. "If they pull the god of Death out of retirement, I'm going to take it personally."

* * *

"When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends." - Japanese Proverb

Proofed by: Silver-Eyed. Thank you!


	15. Chapter 13

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Chapter 16

"Their sensors have picked us up by now, there's no way that we would have snuck in un-detected."

"That's to be expected," Dorothy commented, fingering her hair into a loose braid. "We have come in good faith to help out our crew, nothing more."

Rasid nodded, his suit fitting him a lot better than hers did. "We will request to dock next to the _Star Grazer_ and head out immediately to find Master Quatre."

"Be careful not to seem too rushed."

"Of course," he commented, giving her an odd look.

She met his eyes quietly. "I won't be going with you."

He balked, "What?"

She shook her head. "I can identify Marcus the same way he can identify me. I will jeopardize you."

"Lady Dorothy, you knew this all along!"

"Of course I did," she smirked. "I also know that you boys will be fine on your own."

"Where will you go?"

"Humph," she smiled at the slight concern etched in the older man's face. "I will hide. There are plenty of places out here in the fleet where no one will think to look for me, especially if they don't know I'm here."

"But—"

She held up a hand to quiet him. "Miss Relena will be arriving only a few hours behind us. I will sneak in with their group, and then I can try to help the Preventers track down something to implicate him with."

"But we can't leave you on your own," Abdul commented, laying a firm hand on her shoulder.

She chuckled and then narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not such an incapable little girl, am I?"

He retracted the hand and swallowed.

"Besides, we know that Mr. Yuy got our message. I will be perfectly fine. Once they start digging I won't have to worry."

With a little luck, Heero Yuy would take off after Marcus personally. They had received a single transmission back from the Mars command ship as they passed them. 'Message acknowledged' was all it read. But that had been enough.

Marcus Delmare had no way of knowing what he was about to be in for.

* * *

"Welp, few more hours and Heero's crew should be here. I'd say that's enough time to find something interesting," Duo chuckled to himself as he slipped into an alcove behind him. No one would notice one missing crewmember, and he was dying to do a little exploring.

He pushed himself off towards the airlock entrance, nonchalantly letting himself out the access hatch along with several other workers. But instead of heading back to the _Star Grazer_, he shadowed himself along the outside of the colony towards the _Fuga_.

What a tacky name for a ship, he decided. Oh well. No accounting for taste.

Hiding himself near the access bulkhead he waited for a clear time to enter. The fewer people that saw him, the fewer who would question why a gray-suited crewmember was on the command ship. Sneaking inside he quickly found the locker rooms and blessed all that was holy that he had chosen a quiet time.

The place was nearly deserted and he easily sloughed off the suspicious suit, his black pants and long sleeved shirt were good enough for this task. He made his way out into the ship proper, finding an access terminal, and quickly popping up a map of the ship. Cargo holds, storage rooms, quarters, the mess hall, and the executive offices… If he was looking for something suspicious, he wanted a place that nobody had a reason to go to.

Garbage collection. Well… He'd start a level above that.

Moving off he was careful to avoid any passage that would lead him close to the crew quarters. He may be unsuspicious, but these people had been out here long enough to get to know at least a good portion of their neighbors. He couldn't lie his way out of a situation, and he wasn't in the mood to hurt anybody.

Sneaking around the lower levels for forty-five minutes achieved nothing, but it did make him decide that he didn't want to bring Hilde out here after all. He decided he'd hit a few of the non-essential storage areas and then head off to the _Timor_. And if he still found nothing, he'd head back to Quatre and the Mags, and wait.

Along that line of thought he cautiously pressed open a door to a storage locker, but it didn't open. The door read 'lock' when he tried again, and he smiled down at it. Not a whole lot of storage areas that one can lock off from the outside.

"Well then," he mumbled, tossing a quick look at the silent, lifeless hallway. Pulling out a utility knife, he pried the cover plate off and carefully disconnected a wire from the inside patch. Pressing the button again, the door casually slit open and he gently positioned the faceplate to not draw attention to it. Entering he found the room slightly larger than he would have thought. But as the lights flicked on and the door closed behind him he let out a whistle.

"Yeah. I'm good."

* * *

"Hello Quatre."

He recognized the voice before he looked up to find her floating next to the equipment bank. "Hello Miss Ferra. We're almost ready for the last equipment."

"I can see that, you've done a wonderful service for us," she commented.

"The least we can do." He inched himself up beside her and surveyed the room.

"I actually came to tell you that your friends have arrived."

He felt the chill run down his back at the comment. She shouldn't have known they were friends. Turing he held his voice steady. "The satellite's supply ship?"

Her purple helmet swiveled. "No, a scout ship of yours. They said that you forgot a few things and have come after you to help out."

"Really?" That didn't make sense…

"Yes, if you and your crew would like to meet them, you certainly may. We can finish up the details here while we wait for the remainder of the items."

He nodded. "It sounds like I'd better go thank them for following us all the way out here," he chuckled. There had to be a good reason for someone to come after them, and he was beginning to suspect that Duo had been on the right path.

…Duo. He'd lost track of him a couple hours ago. His insistence on having a look around before the others arrived was still probably not a good idea, but he couldn't stop him. Hopefully Ferra didn't have an exact count on their little group.

"Yes, by all means," she offered.

The group talked idly as they made their way back to the _Fuga_, Ferra accompanying them along the way. Entering the ship the team took the chance to get out of their suits before they followed along. "We wanted to make them comfortable while they waited for you, being cooped up on a small ship can be so tiring. I figured it would be easier if I fetched you."

"That was very nice of you," he commented, a gnawing feeling of being led along eating at him.

She opened the door to an observation deck and Quatre and the others entered, finding Rasid, Abdul and Manul seated around the area.

"Master Quatre!" they greeted.

He smiled up at Rasid, nervously wondering how to ask what had brought them out here. "Hello. It seems like you wanted to help after all."

"I'll let you guys chat," Ferra added, excusing herself and exiting.

He relaxed a bit with her out of the room, but still that gnawing feeling continued. A couple quick motions and he flanked off half the soldiers to either side of the door. "What is it?" he near-silently mouthed.

"Trouble," the other returned much the same way.

He nodded. "I figured as much." The other blinked. "You shouldn't have come, this is going to seem suspicious."

With that, the doors opened again. The arranged soldiers didn't get the chance to tell if it was friend or foe before five men aimed their guns into the room ahead of them. "Yes, it was a bit suspicious." Ferra once again entered the room, her eyes closed and one hand at her hip. "But the message in your communications log is what worried me."

Quatre readied himself. Between him and the ten arranged Maguanacs, the six of them shouldn't be difficult, but there was absolutely nowhere out here they could run to. They couldn't take on the entire Mars fleet by themselves, and Heero and Relena were still a few hours away.

Relaxing, he held up both hands in surrender, the others following his example out of trust. For now, he'd hold his cards, they didn't need to know what the group was capable of… and in the mean time, he'd gather what he could from them.

* * *

Alli stood near the door of the conference room, waiting for the announcement of the docking to come over the ship speakers. Ry and Del lounged around the area, and Relena leaned against the table, again clad in the yellow sweater but with a pair of slacks, which were a bit more practical for a low gravity environment. They were also the most formal articles of clothing that she had. Alli decided she probably should have picked out a suit of some sort while they were on Earth for personal effects.

She hadn't thought of how often the politician had to look so professional.

The door opened and she instinctually snapped her attention to the visitor. The Captain entered holding an electronic data pad under one arm. Relena stepped away from the table to greet him. "I figured you would be busy with the ship by now, Captain," she smiled.

"I will be shortly," he stated. Crossing the room he handed her the pad, not letting go of it himself for a moment. "You wanted to be notified of new reports that we could get from Mars once we were close enough. These are the updates since our departure."

"Thank you. I would like to be knowledgeable when we arrive," she stated, finally getting the thing out of his hand.

"We also have the list of the injured and missing now."

Relena snapped her attention back up to the man in front of her, visually unprepared for that news. Quickly she recomposed herself and nodded. "Thank you."

The man bowed slightly and quickly exited.

All three of the team watched her stare at the pad in her hand. She made no move to turn it on as she looked down at the little thing.

Alli exchanged confused looks with the two men as Relena finally came to and turned around to face away from them. Setting the pad on the table she leaned over it and began examining the contents.

There were no remarks and no audible signals that she was finding anything to be concerned over… but there were also no signs that she comprehended the information she was scanning. Alli took a couple steps forward, bent on at least asking if everything was all right.

The door opened behind her again and she turned to see Agent Yuy enter, his jacket held draped over one shoulder. He stopped just far enough in to let the door close behind him as he glanced around the silent room. Being closest, he caught her eye; silently asking for an explanation.

Alli shook her slightly, taking a glance over to Miss Relena, who had not turned away from the pad when he entered. "We have the new reports from Mars," she stated quietly.

His expression dropped just noticeably and he quickly tossed his jacket to the chair beside them, striding towards her. Alli stood where she was and simply shrugged when the others slowly grouped around her for an explanation.

Heero crossed the room and came up behind her, softly saying her name.

Relena finally acknowledged reality again as she turned from the table in front of her and looked back at him. The Vice Minister turned sideways and allowed him step up directly in front of her. Alli waited for an explanation, a comment, an 'are you all right,' anything!

But it didn't come.

Heero simply stood where he was, waiting for something from Relena, but she did nothing but close her eyes on him and swallow tightly. The agent apparently took the hint and found the pad still lying on the table. Quickly scanning it, he made a move to pick it up, but stopped short.

He slowly turned back to regard her. Relena hadn't moved except to ball a hand into a loose fist at her side. Alli slowly understood that the woman was fighting back…

From the side, Alli had to blink a couple of times to really believe what she saw of the expression on the agent's face. His eyes were soft, touchingly caring as he watched her, Relena's eyes still closed.

Gently he brought a hand up to her face, stuttering in its motion just once before he touched her check. Relena started, her fist unclenching, her eyes snapping open. She took a surprised breath as a single tear escaped. Alli unconsciously took a step forward, seeing the pained expression on her, but was stopped as Ry placed a hand on her shoulder.

Heero tenderly wiped the tear off of her check with his thumb, still not saying a word as the two locked eyes.

Slowly Relena closed her lips together again, swallowing. Her hand at her side flexed once and relaxed, her body seemingly going back to normal. It was a very long moment as the two stood there, saying nothing… and obviously not needing to.

Relena closed her eyes finally and he slipped his hand away from her, not moving from their positions. Heero licked his lips to say something, but the opening of the door again still him as he turned to see who entered. Relena took a breath, and then also looked back.

And Alli froze.

She didn't care who entered behind her; she was transfixed as she stared at the two. They stood together, both gazing over their shoulders directly beside her at the entrant. …Their expressions identical, their eyes perfectly matched in a genuine expression of hardened resolve.

"We will be docking with the colony in a few moments. The command crew will be coming directly aboard. If you prefer, you may wait on the command deck for them."

Relena nodded but didn't find her voice.

The ensign left the room just as quickly as he entered, leaving Relena to turn back to the table and pick up the pad, specifically turning it off. She gazed back up at Heero a moment and he whispered something low enough that even this close Alli couldn't make it out. The Minister's shoulders relaxed just a touch and she nodded quietly. With a firm decision she turned and strode towards the door, the pad in hand, and with a regal confidence.

Alli watched her exit and could do nothing but stand there. Slowly turning, she found Heero watching after her. As she left sight, he closed his eyes just a second before turning and following her. Picking up his jacket again he paused in the doorway and turned back to the three of them. "No matter what, don't leave her."

His voice was deathly quiet, and within a second he was gone.

Ry wrapped an arm around Alli's waist, forcing her out of her shock and she looked up at his expression. "Yuy said that her brother is alive and working here," he stated quietly. "Something tells me that his name was somewhere on that list."

She simply nodded her head, understanding slowly creeping in. She blinked and made herself move out. 'Don't leave her.' Sure. She could do that…

* * *

"The others have to'of arrived by now."

"I'm sure that's why we're still here."

"What are they going to do with us?"

Quatre kept his eyes closed, mulling over a very bad decision. If it weren't for him, they wouldn't be in this mess at all. He should have taken his chances with fighting from the beginning…

No, no second-guessing now. They still had too much at stake.

The door opened quietly and the whole room looked up.

"Hello again, Quatre."

"Miss Ferra," he looked up at her from the corner of the room, kneeling on the floor, his hands clasped behind him with tie-down locks attached to the wall. The adjustable loops made convenient handcuffs around the holding locker that he and the others were being held in.

The woman walked up in front of him and stared down, one hand on her hip and a smile on her lips. "How about you and I having a nice little chat?"

"I'd prefer it if you left my crew out of this. If you need a bargaining chip, use me," he stated quietly, skipping the pleasantries and meeting her eyes.

She giggled to herself lightly, and then knelt to one knee. "I don't need a bargaining chip Mr. Winner. I just need a little information on who else might know about this little game."

"You've done a wonderful job of rounding us all up already," he mumbled. So far he had been absolutely crushed to find out that Dorothy had not only gotten herself here, but was wondering around somewhere alone. His only hope lay with Duo, and that they didn't find out there were two missing.

"Well," she sighed, "one can't be too careful."

He narrowed his eyes at her as she began to lean beside him to unlock his restraints.

"By the way, try to run, and my associates here will kill one of your friends for every step you take." Leaning over she revealed the two men that had entered with her, both with guns trained at the first soldiers next to the door. Quatre's breath caught.

"And if I am not back with you in tow in twenty minutes, they open fire anyway."

The men standing there grunted their agreement.

"We'll do this your way," he stated quietly.

"No! Master Quatre!"

He shook his head quickly and threw a glance around the room at the others. Under no circumstances could he give away Dorothy and Duo. It didn't matter what happened to him, they were the only hope the rest of the corp. had.

Ferra unlocked his restraints and then rose to her feet. He glanced up at her a moment and then stood as well. With a wave of her hand she gave him a friendly smile, motioning him forward.

He calmly left the room and then found two other armed men ready to help 'escort' them wherever they were going. He couldn't take the risk… Not when there was hope left. He had to delay any action that would certainly get someone killed until they were completely out of options.

The room they led him to wasn't far away, a simple storage room, smaller than the one the others were held in. A couple of chairs and a table sat near the door. As he entered he was presented with Commander Delmare himself, standing in the middle of the room waiting for him.

"Mr. Winner. I wish I could say that I am meeting you on better terms."

"As do I, Commander."

"Ferra here tells me that you've been busy. I do hate to interrupt her work, it's had so many delays already, but I thought I should help… resolve this." He sighed, closing his eyes.

"Up against the wall, if you please," she stated from behind him.

His adrenaline kicked in, but he braced himself and moved forward. Delmare wisely moved out of range of his reach as he passed. He stood facing the blank metal wall until Ferra's harsh grip on his shoulder turned him around, the two gun-toting men on either side of her.

"I feel terrible about this," she stated, giving him a wicked smirk. "But you should not have arrived on false pretense."

"False pretense?" Conversation was good, it bought time.

"Arms up if you please." He complied, holding back the impulse to bolt, but there was no way to take out all four of them without causing enough noise to alert the others holding the corp. hostage down the hall.

He'd just have to take it.

She fastened a few more of the tie-down loops around his outstretched arms, two around each. Finishing she stepped directly in front of him, her face inches from his. "There now, comfy?"

"Now then, Mr. Winner." Delmare came up to her side. "I haven't much time. So, we can have a civilized chat, or this can turn ugly very quickly."

"What do you want?" he asked quietly.

"Who else is there in your crew?"

He turned back to Ferra's eyes. "The ones you're holding. To save room for your people we brought a very small crew."

"We know there were more," she turned slightly angry.

"Why would there be more?"

She sighed, backing away and waving the hired guns out of the room. "Guard the door if you would." In the back of the small space she hopped up to perch herself on the edge of the table.

"She really hates repeating things," Marcus stated from beside him still.

Quatre turned to look at the man. "And if I'm telling you the truth, you won't believe me anyway."

"Well," she interrupted. "Let's start with something else."

Marcus moved back and took a chair behind the table, lounging back.

"What did the second group find out that they came after you?"

Quatre bided his time. "Apparently your history as a Romafeller hasn't been forgotten quite yet. Your appearance gave you away."

"There are an awful lot of ex-Romafeller in the world still," he smiled. "Why single me out?"

"You're the one with something to gain."

He chuckled. "I like him, Ferra." The man never turned his attention from him. "He's got a spark."

"I know," she sighed. Standing again she paced forward, coming up and running an appraising eye over him. "Such a shame."

"What are you so afraid that we found?" he asked instead. On the off chance that he got out of this alive, maybe they would accidentally leak what he needed to know.

"Absolutely nothing. But we just don't like rumors," she cooed. Smart.

"Mr. Winner, we know that the scout ship sent an encrypted message. However, we found no trace of that message in your ship's logs. So," he gestured, "who did they send it to?"

"I cleared the log when we arrived. I guess they didn't think it was as necessary." Encrypted, good, at least it might take them a while to realize that it was to Heero and Miss Relena.

"That's funny. You didn't seem the least bit suspicious when you arrived here," she stated.

He eyed her. "I didn't realize that you enjoyed your new job title quite so well," he commented.

She narrowed her eyes at him in response.

"Mr. Winner, as one business man to another, I would recommend that you try to cooperate a little better."

"I only had suspicions when I arrived here," he lied. "This is the only thing that tells me that you are actually responsible for the disaster."

"Well, good to know," he mumbled.

"Let the others go, they have nothing to do with any of this."

"I'm sorry, you must not know the rules," he stated. "You are on Mars now. It's a long walk back to Earth."

"You're killing your own people. Why?" he asked, staring at the man behind the desk.

The other sighed and shook his head sadly. "I don't believe he has anything to tell us Ferra."

She nodded and walked back to the table. "I'm sure he does. He just doesn't know it yet."

Opening a small box on the tabletop, she turned her back to him, blocking his view of what was coming. Quatre closed his eyes, silently praying for enough strength. Dorothy, Duo, Heero, Relena… He opened them again, staring at her as she walked towards him.

He watched her give him one last look, expecting him to say something, but he returned nothing. Shrugging, she sighed and shook her head. "How old are you, Mr. Winner?" He blinked at her. "Well, let's hope the warnings aren't true."

With that he saw her brandish a syringe towards his arm, injecting it through his shirt. He gaped. Poison?

No, they wanted him to talk. A hallucinogen or hypnotic suggestion serum… He stared at her as she backed up a step. Looking in his eyes she calmly waited. Fast acting then, had to be something… How was he going to…

Ferra took a step in and gazed at him gently. "Don't worry, this will be over soon."

"No…" He stared into her hazel eyes, fighting a dizziness spreading through him. Mentally he cursed himself for underestimating these two. A physical beating would be too messy for them.

Her eyes softened a bit, and a hand reached out to brush his bangs back. The touch seemed far displaced, and his vision swam. Gradually he felt himself sink, and then vaguely realized that his knees had given out.

'I'm sorry… Run, please run far away from me…'

* * *

Quatre slowly blinked his eyes open, the dim, red light filtering through the room confused him for a moment until he turned around to find he was standing on an observation deck. In front of him hung the red planet Mars, close enough that its bulk could be observed through all three large windows around the walkway.

Vaguely he wondered how he had gotten here and where here was, but it didn't seem to matter. The view was beautiful, serene and peaceful as he observed the orangey-red surface. It was calm.

"Hello Quatre."

He turned to his side to find Dorothy slowly pacing towards him, her hands laced behind her as she walked, a light summer dress leaving her arms, shoulders and lower legs bare. But the image of her caught him off guard, a horrible feeling of dread washing over him.

"Dorothy? What are you doing here?" he asked as she sauntered up in front of him.

She blinked, giving him an odd expression. "What do you mean?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, not finding what he wanted. Why shouldn't she be here? Of course, she was supposed to be here. He was worried for nothing. "I don't know," he answered instead.

She smiled at him and then turned to face the view of the planet behind the windows. "Where are the others, Quatre?" she asked quietly.

The others? He glanced around, finding they were the only ones in the spacious room. The others… what others?

"Your crew," she clarified for him.

He blinked back at her and fought to remember something. "They were… locked up," he mumbled, images of the men around the square storage room coming back to him. "They were captured."

"All of them?" she asked, not worried in the least.

He stared at her again, all of this not seeming to make sense, and making perfect sense all at the same time. "Where are we?" he whispered instead.

She turned to face him again, her eyes expressionless. "It doesn't matter, does it?"

No. Why should it matter? It was nice here. Quiet and peaceful.

"Are all of the others locked up?" she asked again, prying him from his thoughts.

"All?" he questioned. The Maguanacs. Of course, they were all in the storage room. "Yes."

"Oh, I see," she said. That wasn't like her…

The thought made him look at her again; in the dim light it was hard to decipher color. Everything was an outline. "Dorothy?" he questioned.

She smiled at him. "Yes, Quatre?"

It was wrong… The thought brought up a pain in his heart, a mild ache that he had learned to listen to over the years. Something was really wrong… "Dorothy, what happened?" he asked, his breath coming too shallow for him.

"Nothing happened, Quatre," she soothed, stepping in closer to him. "But why did you come to Mars?"

"To help," he responded instinctually. The feeling of not getting enough oxygen coming back to him again.

"But what about your captured friends? Did they know something about the Commander?"

No… She knew something about the Commander. He looked at her strangely, confused. Why was she asking? Why did she keep asking?

"Answer me, Quatre. What did you know about the Commander?"

Was that anger? No… this wasn't like her. She should have…

She stepped in even closer, merely inches away, her violet eyes staring into his. "Quatre, there was a message. Do you know who it went to?" He fought harder to pull in enough air.

Message? The encrypted message. But they had… Still he stared into her eyes. They weren't right. It just didn't feel right.

Suddenly the colors swirled from the windows, the dim red washing through everything. Turning he stared out at the view. Instead of the planet, there was a large crew carrier alongside, the hull breached with a huge explosion coming from the front portion. The explosion ripped through space in a fireball towards them, but he couldn't move. He couldn't react. He just stood there.

"Who did they send the message to, Quatre?"

She didn't even notice! How could she not see the explosion? The chunks of twisted metal showering outwards.

"Answer me, Quatre!"

The fireball flared and then died as quickly as it began, the vacuum of space extinguishing it, but still the aftermath hailed towards the windows. The figures of bodies jettisoned into black space littered the scene; the force of the blast threw the remaining portion of the ship backwards, sinking slowly.

"NO!" he got out a strangled scream, finally getting enough air to make his voice work.

He forced his eyes away to look up at Dorothy. His knees had given out and he was somehow slouched in open air, his arms forced out to his sides. "Who else knows!" she demanded, her eyes angry.

The windows began to show smaller, secondary explosions as the ship continued to die. The air around them seemed to feel the effects and picked up into wind. A gust tossed her hair towards him, like lifeless fingers.

The length of it brushed against his left side and he would have doubled over if he could. His breath came out in a cry of pain as he clenched his eyes shut. His side was on fire, the remembered paid of her foil driving itself through him.

No, not again! This wasn't real!

But the pain increased, and he gasped for breath, trying to find a way to ease it, but he was trapped, he couldn't move.

A hand clenched his jaw and tossed his head back up, his eyes snapped open with a gasp and he met Dorothy's eyes, anger buried in them as he stared at her. "Tell me, Quatre!"

He couldn't speak, even if he understood her. He couldn't do anything but fight to breathe.

His vision ran and he blinked trying to clear it. When he refocused, her eyes had changed. Not the expression, her actual eyes.

Spotted hazel…

The pain in his side eased slowly as his eyes tunnel-visioned in on only her face, the rest going black. It wasn't her, it was dream, a…

A hallucination.

Drugs. That's what he'd been afraid of. When he saw her… he was afraid that he would tell them…

The realizations clicked over in his mind and he found he was facing Ferra again… Again? Yes… he'd seen this. Why was she…?

What had he told them?

What was he not supposed to tell them?

But why had it been…

Truth serum.

A safe environment. A friendly face. No reason to be afraid.

He couldn't say a word…

His vision closed up completely and the pain died out of his side. The insistent questions bled out to silence.

"…Quatre?" The voice was soft in the darkness behind his eyelids. That was the voice he knew. One of the rare times when she was being completely serious. A time when her kindness would shine.

Slowly he reopened his eyes, it was so dark even when he did that he knew he wouldn't last much longer. He vaguely found Ferra's face, now etched with surprise and still yelling at him, but he couldn't hear a word from her.

"Quatre?" she repeated.

He let his eyes close again. 'Yes, Dorothy?' he mentally answered.

"Quatre… don't die."

He wanted to smile at the reference. Yes, that was her.

The last thing he knew was that a hard object smashed itself against his right temple.

* * *

"Vice Foreign Minister. Thank you for waiting, it is my honor to meet you," he gushed.

"It is nice to meet you as well, Commander Delmare. I wish it could be for better circumstances," Relena offered.

"As do I, ma'am," he nodded. "But you and the supply ships have been our saving grace today, and we dearly thank you."

The guy was a born diplomat. Heero eyed him cautiously from the back of the meeting room, the others standing alongside him. Delmare was probably nearing fifty, his brown hair slightly graying at the temples. His movements were smooth, practiced. His air of superiority was probably what got him this job to start with.

"Please, do not thank me. I am only a passenger here. Anything that I can do to assist you with your crews or the other needs of settling your people will be my pleasure."

He smiled, genuinely. "It is truly touching that you have counted us so worthy of your presence."

She brushed the compliment off with a shy smile. "Not at all."

The doors to the meeting room opened and a young woman entered. She nodded towards the representatives of the crews around them and then made her way up to Delmare's side. "I apologize for being late, there were a few last minute corrections to make."

"Always busy," he stated, holding out a hand to her. "Vice Foreign Minister, Relena Darlian; I would like to introduce you to our chief foreman, and my lovely wife, Ferra Delmare."

* * *

"A real friend is someone who you can sit in complete silence with and still walk away feeling like you just had the best conversation of your life." - Unknown

AN: Little explanation: We hear Sally talk about Truth Serum in like episode 3 or 4 when they have Heero on the table, but she doesn't want to use it on someone so young. So… that means I get to decide what it does and why it's not good on you. :) After I finished this I noted that this sounded a lot like _Battlefield of Pacifists_, for those that have read it, but I didn't mean it too. And I also don't believe it was truth serum in it, and I'm really not following with the mangas anyway. They get to do all the fun stuff first. :D


	16. Chapter 14

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Chapter 17

Duo entered the command room on the supply ship, and picked out the darkest corner with the best view of the proceedings… and was of course rewarded with spotting Heero.

Taking the stairs up to the short communications bank he made his way halfway around the room. With no activity, this corner was all but deserted, except for him and three other Preventer officers.

Heero stood at the railing, one hip lounging against it, his arms crossed in front of him. The other three seemed a bit less interested in the surroundings as they sat in the chairs lining the back wall. Probably bored out of their minds, he figured.

Stopping his forward momentum, he let his footsteps sound on the decking as he sauntered up to the group, just inside of Heero's blind spot. "Well, well," he announced himself.

The others took a look at him, and he flashed a smile to the cute lady on the end as he passed by, making a path to his friend.

Heero didn't bother to turn around and he figured he'd already spotted him. "You've been in charge of her for one whole month now, and what do you do? …You bring her to Mars." He came up just behind his shoulder, looking out at the group assembled in the center.

When he still got no response he stepped up beside him and leaned an elbow on his shoulder. "Most guys take a nice lady like that out to dinner, maybe a movie. May even get her flowers by now," he mused. "But no." He faced Heero as he finally turned to regard him. "You wait for something to blow up."

He only blinked. "Have you found anything?"

Duo rolled his eyes and puffed out a sigh before nodding. "Yeah… I found what blew it up." Meeting the other's eyes, he made a glance back towards the group and got a slight nod in return. "Converted space mines. Homemade jobs too."

Heero turned to look back down at the assembly. "Anything on Delmare personally?"

Duo followed his line of sight to find Relena working through the crowd, but with no sign of the Commander anywhere. He shrugged, "That guy? Nope, haven't even met him."

Heero nodded.

He removed his elbow and crossed his arms, turning he fell back to lean against the rail. "How'd you know I was here?" he asked, boredly waiting for him to come up with a plan.

"The scout ship got us a message."

Duo paused. "What scout ship?"

Heero turned his eyes to regard him. "Rasid and a few others. They should have gotten here a couple hours before us."

Duo gave him a confused look and shook his head. "We knew Rasid was trying to send us a message as we left, but I haven't seen 'em."

The other narrowed his eyes slightly, turning his sight back to the center of the room. "Where's Quatre?"

"Air systems, he's keeping our cover, seeing what he can innocently talk out of the workers." Duo turned around again, leaning forward over the rail, waiting for the wheels to tick over.

"Any sign of Zechs or Noin?"

He took a look at him and then back down at Relena, standing in the middle of it all. "No, but I really haven't looked. They have something to do with this?"

He saw Heero close his eyes a moment. "They're on the MIA list."

He cringed. "Does she know that?" he asked softly.

The other nodded, focusing back on her.

"They'll turn up. They probably know what's going on out here."

"They'll make a move now that we docked…"

'If they can,' Duo finished, shaking his head. "This place is getting crowded." Watching some of the assistants lead Relena over to the table, she walked her way through some of the paperwork. Apparently handing off appointments and delegating the workload. "So why you worried about the Commander?"

"Ex-Romafeller. With the other crew's leading officers out of the way, he's taken complete control."

"Romafeller," he spat. "I'm getting sick of these guys."

"Hn."

"Rasid followed us for that bit of information?"

He nodded. "He's Dorothy's forth cousin. Apparently she was concerned."

He started, staring up at him. "Her again."

"She makes a good informant."

"Ever get the feeling Romafeller did a little in-breeding?" The non-committal look he got in return just made him shrug. Leaning back on his arms, he was finally impatient. "So what's the game plan already?"

"We have to connect them."

Duo shook his head sadly. "It ain't going to be easy. This guy's all office. He has his foreman babe do all the work for him."

"His wife?"

Duo balked. "Wife?"

"Ferra Delmare."

He gave him a sick look and glanced back down. "Talk about an age gap."

Heero turned and looked back at the group behind them. The three took the hint and stepped up to them. Turning away from the rail he uncrossed his arms. "Don't leave her."

Even out of Heero the sentence sounded like it came with a death-threat. Duo gave him a quick look, and then figured it probably did.

Without any other instruction he headed off towards the door. Duo straightened, giving them a friendly smile. "Well, guess I'm going that way too," he chuckled at them, stepping away and following.

"Wait." He turned as he passed the same lady, obvious confused knitted over her face. "Who are you?"

"Future godfather," he winked, showing them a pair of crossed fingers over his shoulder as he walked away, hurrying to catch up with Heero's stride. Turing down the hall he followed him to the locker rooms where he tossed his agent jacket and holster into one, conveniently keeping the sidearm. "You're not going yourself are you?" he asked.

Heero closed the door to the locker and stared at it a moment. "This will only get worse."

"But, Relena, eh…" He vaguely pointed back the direction that they had come, not wanting to say too much.

"He's right," came a distinctly female voice.

The two turned to find Dorothy Catalonia casually slip into the room, closing the door and placing her back against it. She was nicely fitted into a new purple space suit; her hair loosely braided and draped over one shoulder, and her arms crossed.

"Gaaa!" he squeaked. How the—? Oh, I hope she didn't hear—wait. "Doesn't a men's locker room mean anything to you, lady?"

She boredly eyed him, "Unisex has a few advantages."

He straightened and then did a casual look around himself.

"You were on the scout ship?" Heero asked from behind him, unfazed.

She nodded. "Your message was kept need-to-know in case it was intercepted."

"And the others?"

She closed her eyes and lowered her head with a sigh. "I'm afraid that the Madam Delmare has a wonderful touch with such things here."

Duo glanced back at Heero who gave him the same blank expression.

Apparently the dramatic pause was enough, and she reopened her eyes. "Soon after we landed her party searched the scout ship, and Quatre and the others were taken aboard the _Fuga_. I don't expect them to be showing up voluntarily any time soon."

"Captured?" he started. "Crap." Rethinking that statement he glanced back at her suspiciously, "Where were you?"

She turned a smirk to him and then casually uncrossed her arms, displaying a computer disk. "Loitering in the colony's private offices, of course." With a flip of her fingers she sent the disk spiraling towards them. "And meeting a few old friends along the way."

Heero caught it and then turned his eyes back to look at her.

She smiled, "I do feel it appropriate to warn you that Mr. Milliardo is rather… perturbed that someone let his dear sister come out here."

"They're both alive?" he questioned.

She nodded. "And more than willing to return to the fight. However," she paused, "it seems Marcus hasn't quite finished eliminating the evidence yet."

"Would you spit it out, lady?" Duo sighed, itching to help out his friends.

She batted her eyes at him. "Mr. Milliardo and Miss Noin have discovered rumors of a space in the unfinished colony section with the remains of the evidence from the _Romulus'_ demise."

"More explosives?" he asked.

She shook her head no. "The rest of the crew."

Duo chose a particularly colorful curse for this occasion and knotted his hands behind his head. "How much you want to bet that those bombs I saw are there for their sole benefit?"

Heero nodded, turning to him. "Go back to the locker and get rid of them. I'll find Quatre and we'll go after the other crew."

"If I may make a suggestion," she interjected. The two turned to look back at her. She met her eyes to Heero's, "Marcus won't do anything with them aboard the _Fuga;_ he won't risk his own ship. But if he finds out that we're suspicious of him, his best chance is Miss Relena."

Duo had to know the guy pretty well to notice his expression darken.

"Your responsibility is here. And since I got nominated to be the messenger, my crew is also in someone else's hands." She turned back to Duo. "I don't have your level of experience with such matters, but I can at least locate Quatre and the Maguanacs."

The two stared at her a moment before Heero nodded. Duo, turned to look at him fully, a bit incredulous. "You're going in with this?"

He didn't turn away from her. "Can you handle it?"

She blinked and then shrugged. "If I can't, then I'm reliant on the two of you again. Nothing different there."

Heero turned to him, "Where are the mines?"

"_Fuga_, bottom levels."

"Go with her," he mumbled, stepping around him, she moved out of his way as he headed for the door.

Duo watched him leave and turned from him to her, to him to her, and then closed his eyes. "I'm not sure both of you aren't nuts."

There was a giggle and he looked back up at her. "Get dressed, Mr. Maxwell. It's awfully cold out."

"Why are you here?" he asked finally, moving off to collect a suit from the rack at the end of the row.

"I'm simply protecting my interests."

He snorted. "Business or personal?"

"My business is always personal."

Stepping into a suit he pulled it over his shoulders and glanced back at her, waiting patiently with her eye closed. "Something tells me that's what got Delmare into this mess."

She smiled ruefully, "It's a trait I've come to expect, yes. But Marcus was never patient enough with his ploys. And his stupidity is getting people hurt because of it."

Grabbing a set of gloves and a helmet he zipped up the suit. "Patience is not a virtue I have at this point either, lady."

* * *

Heero re-entered the command center and basically ran through a group of aids that weren't quick enough to get out of his way. He scanned the room, but there were still no signs of either Delmare. He forced a shortcut by going over one of the ensign stations, a much more casual task in low gravity.

Relena sat at a table in the center as others filtered here and there, dropping off and picking up from her. The Captain leaned over her shoulder and analyzed something she was working on when he quickly made his way up from her other side.

Not caring if he startled her he firmly grabbed her upper arm, careful not to hurt, as he leaned down to her ear. "We have to go, now."

She started, gasping at his abrupt appearance. She froze as he spoke to her and then gave him one look before recomposing her shocked surprise and letting him pick her to her feat. Turning the other way he really didn't give her the chance to take a proper leave of the Captain and she ended up talking over her shoulder as he moved her. "I'm sorry, we'll have to reconvene. Please use your best judgment on the facilities."

He remembered to let go of her arm halfway across the floor when she was able to keep up with his pace on her own.

"Heero, what's wrong?" she asked quietly, attempting to remain calm in the face of the throng of people surrounding them.

He didn't answer her as the other three met him at the door, seemingly ready for anything. Stepping out he pressed Relena lightly ahead of him and steered her down the hall with a hand on her back. He paced them down and around the corner, loosing the crowd of people surrounding the bridge. The meeting room down the corridor was deserted when they entered, as he hoped it would be.

Forcing the group in he waited for the door to shut and then turned back to her beside him, his hand still absently guarding her movements. Her eyes searched his, a dread burning in them. "They're alive," he said first, wanting to ease that away.

It worked as she sighed heavily, barely having time to give him a grateful look.

Pulling the disk out of his pocket he handed in across to Delano. "Guard this."

"What is it?" he asked instinctually.

"Something we'll need a search warrant to find." The others stared at him skeptically. He turned and pinned Ry specifically, "Find Sally and make her put up a guard force around the entrances. Everyone gets searched. Tell her to watch especially for explosives."

"Explosives?" he questioned.

Turning back to Relena he found her eyes. "Where did the Delmares go?"

She blinked, obviously confused, but it seemed she knew better than to stall with questions. "Marcus is working with moving the personnel; Ferra was starting to move the equipment we brought."

"On colony?"

"I-I think so," she stuttered quickly.

Turning back to the other three he had to fight himself for this decision... "As of now, both are under suspicion. Neither get anywhere near her. If you find them, have them detained. Understood?"

The three nodded blankly.

Focusing back on Relena, he stared into her wide eyes just a second. "Stay put for once."

"Where are you going?" She didn't even blink.

"I promised I'd find them," he stated quietly, his words to her before they docked coming back again. Turning, he paced quickly back out the door, leaving Relena to know that look in his eyes.

Her nervousness snapped as she lost sight of him, and she realized that she was getting very tired of being left.

Firmly she started after him, the other three immediately gluing themselves to her side until she turned a look to all of them. "Just one minute," she stated, biting off each word, leaving no room for argument.

It was enough to stop them dead in their tracks and stare after her as she left the room, the door again sliding shut.

"Un-freaking-believable."

"…Still think he was being over-dramatic?"

* * *

Duo gave a friendly smile to the group of workers as he passed by and turned down the next row, pausing to make sure they continued on their way without suspecting him. Letting out a sigh he continued along, keeping out of sight.

He had discovered that he and Lady Eyebrows had two very distinct styles of breaking an entering. He was proficient at not being seen, at perfect stealth, and at being able to slip past as un-suspicious. Dorothy on the other hand made her intentions abundantly known to everyone, being seen by anyone around, and simply daring someone to try to stop her.

The girl had style… it just wasn't his.

He shrugged to himself, pulling the little screen out of his pocket. The green dot moved steadily along, probably three decks up and toward the aft supply section. He'd snagged a spare transmitter set from the locker room on their way out. Usually used for monitoring equipment or for rescue missions, it came in quite handy. So regardless of who decided that she needed to be clubbed over the head and locked up, as long as they threw her in with Quatre he'd have their location.

But first things first. He slipped easily into the secondary corridor and down the emergency stairway. He paused in the doorway to the area in question and then moved towards the same locker. Pulling the knife from his pocket he waited just a second before he quickly popped the cover plate off again and disconnected the lock. Letting himself in he waited for the door to close and relaxed, taking a quick look before starting to disarm the things.

Duo froze halfway to the first in the row of drum-like cylinders. On the front of the row, closest to the door, stood three blank spots that he knew should have been full. Taking a quick inventory of the rest of the closet he found only those three missing.

Except that those three alone would be enough to take down another ship, or even the colony section… Or a good chunk of the unfinished side.

"Too slow," he mentally beat himself. Throwing caution aside he whirled back out the door and set to fast work at the door controls. Finalizing a couple connections he grabbed a handful of wires and yanked.

The lights in hallway flickered and died. "Oops," he muttered to himself in the dark. "Might have gotten a little carried away." He banged against the door once to ensure that it wasn't going to open again for anyone anytime soon and started off to the stairway.

Tracking by memory, he silently made his way up three floors while the emergency crew was trying to go down. Apparently his little power failure only affected the relatively small block, which was good. It was easier when there were lights.

Pulling out the small tracking pad he set off for its last location.

* * *

Rasid felt the drop of blood smear along the back of his hand as he tried again to break free of the tie-down locks. The things were made to restrict movements even during a rough re-entry phase. His mind had already figured out it was useless, but the rest of him resisted that knowledge.

His wrists were rubbed raw by now, and apparently he had opened a cut as well. Maybe enough blood would let him slip free…

He tossed a glance up to the corner as he bit down the pain that flared from his right wrist. Quatre lay on his side against the wall; blood stained the side of his face and his ear. The two guards had drug his body back in and roughly tossed him into the corner, not bothering to restrain his unresponsive form. Obviously they didn't feel it would be necessary.

The group's horrified questions of whether he was still alive or not went unanswered, as the two men stood just inside the doorway in the other front corner, keeping at eye on all of them for the time being.

The soldiers closest to Quatre kept a pensive watch over his body. From here, Rasid had yet to discern if he was still breathing. After the initial shock, the crew had turned stoically silent, the room smelling of burnt rage.

Rasid knew he wasn't the only man working at his bindings, but the presence of the two armed guards made it more difficult. And the obscene care with which Ferra had searched them for anything that could pick the locks worsened the conditions.

But eventually, either the titanium bindings would give, or his hands would… At this moment, he didn't care which.

Internally, Rasid was counting the time. Quatre had seen his share of injuries and violence. He was accustomed to fighting through pain. Except for the obvious head injury, Rasid couldn't determine any other wounds. If they had worked him over, they had wanted it subtle.

But as time ticked on and there was still no response from him, Rasid's protective worry only grew.

The door split open and the beak-nosed man he had learned as Marcus Delmare entered, a gun specifically unveiled in his hand. Pausing in the doorway he tossed his head back out and the guards moved to exit. "No one comes in, please," he mumbled to them.

The two men exited silently, obviously relieved at being let go from their boring duty.

Rasid threw another look at Quatre. 'This would be a good time to wake up,' he mentally prodded.

"Good evening, gentlemen," he stated. "I'm getting awfully tired of running around between ships these days, so let's skip the pleasantries." Walking along the three men on the wall closest to the door, he gave the group a quick look over. Circling all the way around, he paused with a frown in Quatre's direction. "Poor kid," he muttered. "Well, who's next in line?" he asked.

"I am," Rasid stated. If they were all going to die, he'd be sure his men weren't going to go before him. "What did you do to him?"

Marcus swiveled around again, finding him in the middle of the back wall. "Well good." Not bothering to move from the middle of the room, he leveled the gun at Rasid's chest. "Your dear little friend didn't keep his head long enough to tell me what I needed to know. So one of you will."

Rasid narrowed his eyes and waited. Master Quatre hadn't given in; Rasid had never worried about that. He only needed to remind the others that not one of them could give in either.

"I want to know why you came here."

The door slit open again as he spoke and the click of boots against the entryway halted the entire room. "They're here because someone's bad planning killed a crew ship."

The man stiffened notably, a confused expression flickered past his face, before he turned slowly around to regard the longhaired blond who casually strode into the room. "I don't believe it… little Catalonia. I didn't realize that we had a reunion planned."

Dorothy slowly sauntered by the bound men, her usual impassive smirk in place, and her hands behind her back. "Well, imagine my surprise when the name Marcus Delmare came to my attention."

"How nice of you to remember."

She regarded each soldier in turn, as if looking for any injuries. She paused her steps as she turned the corner towards Rasid, and shrugged. "Genealogy is a prerequisite, isn't it?"

"Funny. But I thought I stated that no one should be let in here," he commented, lowering the gun and turning to trace her continued trek around the room.

"Well, I just smiled sweetly and asked where I could find you."

"Of course you did. But now then, dear cousin, what brings you out here?"

Her movements stopped in front of Rasid, her eyes hardening as she met his. Turning slowly, she rounded to look at Marcus. "You blew up my crew. And my ship, I might add."

The other sighed, "An unfortunate accident. And what do you mean by 'my crew'?"

"It is too bad that your father's tactics won't stay in the grave with him." During her sentence Rasid saw her hand in front of him part her hair and quickly released a small object, giving it a gentle nudge to float to the floor beside him, her words covering up the tiny sound it made hitting the metal decking. "I am a, rather quiet, investor out here. You would do well to know these sorts of things."

The other lost his regal composure for an instant before closing his eyes and smiling. "I suppose it is too bad that we both seem to have had our designs on Mars."

"I have no designs here, Marcus. My motives are purely profit. Which, of course, you just lost me."

Rasid used the time she was buying him, as her shadow cut most of him from sight, to inch his fingers over to the small metal key she'd tossed.

"I'm terribly sorry, I hadn't realized that you were bankrolling them."

"Well, I imagine that is going to be just one of the things that goes wrong in this worthless scheme of yours," she mumbled.

"Really, baby cousin, you shouldn't meddle in things that you don't belong in."

Her laughter echoed off the bare walls and gave more than enough sound to cover the release of both of Rasid's tie-down straps. Composing herself she ran a hand back through her hair, "You never did learn to play well with others."

Slowly turning, she laced her hands behind her back again and began meandering around the room once more, glancing at each of the men as she passed.

"You'll have to forgive me if I cut this short, but I have somewhere else to be."

"Ah, the devoted leader of the, now monopolized, Mars Terra-Forming Project. What exactly did you think you would gain with this little insurrection?"

"This isn't a revolt, Dorothy, this is just laying down the playing field."

She turned again as she passed the next corner, pausing. "Really? All I can see is that you just lost your element of surprise."

He chuckled at her, "Surprise? No, there will be no surprise, just a quiet transferal. Do you know what I actually have here?"

She raised a bored eyebrow, "Oh, do tell."

"I have a collection of ex-convicts and dead men with no names."

"Well," she stated mock-impressed, "what an amazing lack of civility you've collected. I wouldn't expect less."

"Scoff all you want, but how many of those do you think have people waiting for them at home? How many mothers do you believe are waiting for the call?" he added smugly.

"Ah, a perfectly expendable work-force." Dorothy crossed her arms in front of her now, closing her eyes to mull it over. "You don't intend to have them mutiny, you just intend to be the only one still alive."

"So much less paperwork that way. By the time Mars is an independent entity, people will just be dying to elect me President," he chuckled.

Dorothy rolled her eyes and then twirled around to continue her trip. "Well, you're a bit more creative than I would have given you credit for."

"It's too bad you won't see the end of this."

"Oh, I think I already have. What did you think you were going to do with the Preventers crawling all over this?"

"Over what? A mere accident. Why should they care?"

She flicked a hand around the room. "And this is going to be another 'mere accident'?"

He smiled at her. "Mars has a way of being… unstable."

She giggled, shaking her head. "That won't work with me, you should know better than to think I'd be that unprepared."

"To be honest, dearest Dorothy, I figured you would have taken your mother's cowardly way out by now."

She shrugged, "Not all women are created equal." She turned back to the remainder of the row, finally recognizing Quatre's form laid out on the floor in the corner. Her expression darkened, "Ah, now this one you are going to pay for," she whispered. Silently she moved over and knelt down on one knee, gently brushing back the matted hair against the blood soaked side of his face.

"Ah! The legendary Dorothy!" He chuckled, well amused with something. "I never would have seen that coming."

She flashed a dark pair of eyes towards him for a brief moment.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, baby cousin," he sing-songed, turning fully towards her and leaving his back to Rasid. "Did I mare your boyfriend?"

She snorted, running a hand gently down his neck to check for a pulse. "Never mix business and pleasure, Delmare," she looked up at him with a cold glint in her eyes. "That's where children like you come from."

"Poor little Catalonia, what do you have to do with this…" he glanced around at the men, "hodgepodge of testosterone?"

An evil smile spread across her lips. "They're a darling group when you get to know them." She rose back to her feet again. "And it's Lady Catalonia, I'm enjoying my inheritance rather well."

He sighed audibly, raising the gun in her direction. "You always were a harsh, insufferable brat."

She laughed again, tossing her hair behind her, and slowly walking towards him. "How cute, Marcus, you're jealous."

"Not at all, half-blood. But now, I'd love to stay and trade family insults with you, but I'm afraid my timing must be perfect."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she sighed, closing her eyes, amused. "I certainly wouldn't want to keep you."

He nodded, "Back against the wall with your friends."

"Oh, dear cousin," she opened her eyes and glared at him, "they aren't _my_ friends." He snorted at reference.

It was the last sound he made as Rasid grabbed the man's arms and pinned them forcefully behind him, ensuring she was out of the line of fire. A short gasp and a thud resounded as Rasid looked up to find the rather surprised woman unceremoniously tossed backwards and out of the way. Blocking her from the line of fire was a wide-awake Quatre, who crossed the space between them and threw a single punch.

Delmare's head snapped to the side and lulled before he had time to cry out, Rasid's grip the only thing that supported the unconscious form. Abdul, who had been freed beside him during the conversation, almost pointlessly removed the gun from the man's unconscious fingers.

"Master Quatre?" Rasid released his body to float to the floor as he stared at the younger soldier.

Quatre gave them a smile, "Nice job," he complimented. Turning back they both found Dorothy sitting on the floor against the wall, staring wide-eyed. "That was quite a performance," he mumbled walking over and offering her a hand.

"So was yours," she blinked up at him, scrutinizing the lines of blood drying around right ear as he helped her back to her feet.

"Always looks worse than it is," he touched it tenderly, and then used a shirtsleeve to wipe some of the blood away.

Rasid clapped a hand on his back, looking at him appraisingly. "You need to have that checked."

He turned a dark expression up at him, "No time. Get him and Miss Dorothy back to the ship."

"Most of the others are headed for the unfinished colony section. They believe some of the _Romulus'_ crew who caught on to Marcus' plan are being kept somewhere," she mumbled, dusting herself down.

"The others?" he asked

She chuckled lightly. "I've been visiting all sorts of people."

He shook his head. "What about Ferra?"

Dorothy blinked, "I don't know."

"This won't be over until we find her too." He turned to look back at Rasid, "Everyone gets off this ship," making his point very clear to the remainder of the corp.

"Where are you going?" he asked instead as the young man moved towards the door.

"To find her before she finds out about this… and does something drastic."

He nodded. "You heard him, get them out," he called over his shoulder. He paused as he passed Dorothy, who calmly stood in the middle of the race to free the other men. "Thank you, Lady."

She looked up at him and nodded with, what almost looked like, a genuine smile.

He and the other three officers raced out of the room after Quatre, narrowly missing the bodies of the two guards in the hallway. "'Smiled sweetly' my ass," Abdul muttered.

* * *

Heero had neared the corner when he heard his name and turned back to find Relena—alone—hurrying after him. He blinked. He knew that expression and he inwardly sighed. 'I should have known better than to tell her to stay put.'

"Heero, you owe me an explanation. What is going on?" she asked, defiance evident in her. That same stubborn inability to risk anyone else's neck but her own. He turned partly away just to avoid her seeing the smile he couldn't keep off of his lips.

"Relena, please, go back with the others," he stated softly as she stopped in front of him.

"Not until you answer me."

He would never understand his reaction to her concern over him. Probably because he would never understand the concern itself. It had confused him since the day they met.

He raised a hand and caressed her cheek a moment before her expression slipped. "You have to let go of trying to protect me," he stated quietly, trying to get her to understand. He'd expected the same unabashed look of determination that he had come to know in her. But instead he found an… uneasy acceptance.

"No."

There was no change in her expression, but it took him aback.

"I won't." She held his gaze, her eyes shifting softer. "I know I can't stop you, but you can't ask me to not worry."

Her words surprised him as he stood still, trying to decipher what to say to her.

Slowly she closed her eyes a moment. "I can't loose you, Heero," she whispered. There were tears in her voice, if not in her eyes, as she lifted a hand to her heart.

Realization crept in slowly, the power of her emotions overwhelming him. That over-protective feeling in his heart was torn to bits as he watched her struggle. The impulse to comfort her drew him closer to her, but he stopped… knowing if he held her, he wouldn't leave.

He'd promised her to find them. And if he was going to protect her, he needed the evidence to convict anyone associated with this as soon as possible, but…

Feeling him step in closer, she opened her eyes to meet his again, her worry and her concern gone. He didn't recognize the expression they were replaced with, but stared into it anyway.

"Please come back to me," she sighed, reading her lips was the only way he understood her words.

He was fixated with her, the words ringing in his head. His heart… broke. The hand he held to her cheek lost its touch as he was physically shaken. It took an effort to breathe again as he stared down into her soft, blue eyes. He absently moved his hand back to touch her, running his thumb against her check, confused and trying to understand her emotions.

The small touch was enough. She blinked, not moving, but a flicker of a smile entered her expression. That soft understanding…

That was all it took. That tiny response to him. Something that made his heart start to beat again as he left the explanations behind and needed nothing but the feel of her. Ignoring his sense of caution for possibly the first time he could remember, he let her consume him, trusting her with his confused emotions.

Letting his heart cave in he moved closer, starting into her, and knowing he had the same expression she wore. Whatever it was didn't matter anymore. He hovered just close enough that her eyes drifted half closed, staring into his. He looked over her face, memorizing it. Lightly he caressed her cheek until he paused his gaze on her lips, still slightly parted from her last words…

'Come back to me.' His hand drifted from her cheek to her neck, slipping only his fingertips back into her hair, enough to ask her not to move, but not enough to prevent her...

Drawing to her he searched her eyes once more, completely unsure of what he was doing. But she didn't move, didn't flinch, didn't blink. Tilting his head just enough he closed the last few inches, meeting his lips to hers, and closing his eyes… needing to savor her.

Fear stabbed at him for a painful second before he felt her respond, lightly returning his kiss. Her body relaxed towards his. The hand that she had held over her heart placed itself over his, and its gentle touch burned itself into his memory.

…She accepted him. Even… wanted him.

His hand absently settled itself against her neck, the timid insecurity eased out of its touch. His palm could feel her racing heartbeat barely contained under her skin. She was warm… that was one of the only things he had enough time to notice as their lips parted again. He felt her breathe in sharply, and he pulled back just enough to look down at her, his thumb tracing her jaw line. Her eyes staying closed, her lips still parted.

"…I will," he promised.

The words slowly brought her eyes open to look at him just a second before he dropped his hand back to his side and stepped away from her. If he stayed any longer he honestly didn't know what to do. Her hand on his chest lost contact and returned to ball loosely into a fist over her own again as he turned around and quickly walked away.

Heero licked his lips as he rounded the corner, the warm feeling on them slowly wearing off as he strode down the corridor.

Relena swallowed, watching him quickly leave. She balled both of her hands together over her heart and pushed in, trying desperately to get it to calm down.

* * *

"A woman can forgive a man for the harm he does her...but she can never forgive him for the sacrifices he makes on her account." - W. Somerset Maugham

AN: Now, everyone go pull out your episode 48 and your _Blind Target_ and tell me how well this fits. ;)

"It is a good idea to be ambitious, to have goals, to want to be good at what you do, but it is a terrible mistake to let drive and ambition get in the way of treating people with kindness and decency." - Robert Solow


	17. Chapter 15

"Manifestations"  
By: Isis  
Chapter 18

"Just how chummy did you two get on _Libra_?"

"Huh...?"

"I wouldn't have given it to her," she muttered, taking the offered hand to steady her against the docking hatch.

"She'll do whatever is needed."

"Yeah, and she'll spout bad philosophy the whole time."

Zechs specifically didn't answer her remarks as he descended into the walled off colony section.

"Where do we start?" she asked instead, looking out at the expanse of the dark, curved space in front of them.

"If they want to make it look like another accident they will need something to blame it on."

"Power grid? Operations office?" she asked. "It's all halfway around, and it more than likely wouldn't hurt the finished section."

"Convenient."

"This whole plot is too convenient," she muttered. "It's too bad Marcus didn't learn the same people-skills Dorothy did."

Zech's helmet swiveled over to look at her, but in the dim lighting, she couldn't make out his expression. Ok, so she might be a little bitter about the whole meeting. Heck, she was a little bitter about everything by now.

They had been stuck in hiding for four days now. Many of her friends and acquaintances were blown to dust orbiting the foreign planet outside by a bomb that was meant for her and Zechs, as well as the rest of the officers. And if she ever found Ferra Delmare alive and well again, she was going to break the woman's nose.

And maybe a few other appendages.

"Marcus isn't the one I'm worried about."

She breathed, calming herself. "Me either."

Digging quickly through the pack they had brought, he shook a glow-rod to life and then pushed himself off from the wall with a kick. She followed after him as they plunged into the dim interior.

* * *

"Duo?" Quatre blinked twice to make sure the person coming down the hall towards them was really his friend. He was still feeling dizzy, and his entire body ached in time with his heartbeat. But attempting to convince the others that he was all right meant that he was trying valiantly to keep them from noticing that he was shaking from his sudden level of activity. The drug had obviously taken its toil on him, and it wasn't finished yet.

"Yo Quatre!" he called, stopping himself to stand in the middle of the hall to wait for their approach. "The Lady Cat must be better than I thought."

He smiled slightly, catching up to him. "She always has perfect timing."

"Great," the other dismissed the compliment. Looking at him closer he knitted his eyebrows together. "What happened to you?"

Quatre shook his head, and then regretted the motion. "I'll be fine. I had a run in with Ferra and Commander Delmare."

Duo smiled, "Here's a news flash you'll enjoy, guess Ferra's last name."

The group moved off again, continuing their conversation. "What's that?"

"Delmare."

Quatre stopped himself again. "His daughter?"

Duo chuckled merrily, floating backwards down the corridor, "Nope, his wife."

Quatre blinked and then continued on after them. "Somehow, that makes sense."

"So what'd you do with Dorothy and the others?" he asked, glancing back at the empty hall behind them.

"I sent them back to the _Star Grazer_ with him."

Duo started. "You caught him?"

"I think he was just about to have us moved somewhere we could be shut up permanently."

"Crud. Yeah, I've got a feeling where that might be." He turned back over his shoulder again as they turned a corner, "But we need to stop by and see Heero first. I think he needs to know what I didn't find."

He blinked, "What's that?"

His eyes hardened a bit, "Enough explosives to shut a lot of us up."

* * *

"Miss Relena," the messenger was quickly cut off from coming any farther into the meeting room as Ry and Del physically blocked his way. "Um…" he stalled, looking at the two officers.

"I'm sorry," Relena stated for the twentieth time since she had been placed under 'solitary watch.' House arrest is what she'd been calling it. "What is it that I can do for you?"

"Ma'am," he started again, at least attempting to look between their closed shoulders, "there are two men requesting—adamantly—to speak with you."

Relena blinked and stood up from her seat. "Who would that be?"

"Mr.'s Winner and Maxwell, I believe."

Relena started, headed towards him. "Where are they?"

"On the command deck, Ma'am. Would it be all right if I have them sent—?"

She didn't bother to let him finish as she physically moved Ry and Del apart. "I'm coming," she stated.

The man's eyes widened even farther and then nodded as he stepped aside, letting her squeeze between the two bodyguards.

"Miss Relena—" Del tried.

"Come along or stay here."

She knew it was against lock down protocol as she dislodged their holds on her and paced out the door and down the hall, but by now, she was very, very tired of not knowing what was going on, and she couldn't take that room anymore. Heero could give her all the annoyed speeches he wanted… annoyed glares more likely… Well, she didn't know what he'd do, but she'd deal with him later.

She rounded the corner, bringing the door to the command center into view, two officers standing at attention beside it. "Vice Minister," one recognized her.

"We have orders to not allow you to enter," the other stated quickly, placing himself into her oncoming path.

Relena didn't even slow down. "I am overriding that order," she stated with far more authority than she actually had. In truth, she had no authority whatsoever to order the Preventer officers around, and apparently the one in front of her knew her bluff.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. Please have these officers escort you back to a safe area."

When she still didn't slow down he cringed and reflectively positioned his hand over his sidearm. At that, Relena stopped, close enough that she could stare into the older man's eyes. "Shoot me or open the door," she demanded.

The man lost the composure he had left as he stared down at her, wide-eyed.

"We will vouch for the Vice Minister," Del added from directly beside her. 'Thank you,' she inwardly sighed.

The other officer swallowed and then slowly moved aside. It was all the opening she needed. Not giving him the chance to change his mind, she continued, brushing past the two men and leaving them dumbfounded in her wake.

Entering the center she took a quick inventory of the room. Quatre and Duo were there, exactly as expected, four other Maguanac soldiers stood nearby, most likely part of Quatre's crew. Spotting her, the two ditched whatever conversation they were having with another flight officer and met her halfway.

"Finally!" Duo cried, coming up and hugging her off her feet for a moment. Setting her back down he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her out to arms-length. "Where's Heero? They won't tell us."

She blinked up at him, momentarily disturbed that they didn't know either. "He left," she stated shortly.

Quatre came up to her side, looking worried and…

"What? Why can't that man ever listen to me?" Duo huffed, letting go of her.

Relena ignored his protests a moment. "Quatre, are you all right?"

He nodded shortly, but there were telltale signs of bleeding on his right temple area. He had obviously cleaned a cut rather quickly, and from the looks of it, it hadn't been medically checked. "I'm fine. Do you know where he went?" he asked instead.

Blinking back to the situation she let the worry ease. "No, he… didn't say," she replied instead. The two certainly didn't need to know that she had been 'distracted' from getting that answer from him. "But he knew something about Milliardo and Miss Noin," she stated instead.

Someone had to know more than she did.

"Unfinished side," Duo muttered. "Exactly where I bet those mines went."

Quatre turned sharply to the rest of the room, the others milling around giving their assembly a good deal of space to talk. Not to mention that between her three Preventers and the four Maguanacs encircling them, she wouldn't want to stray too close either. Turning back to her he lowered his voice. "Can you get the Captain to order the fleet to un-dock and take up their own orbit?"

Relena blinked. "I can try."

His sea-blue eyes turned calculated, and she waited, knowing that look out of any of these men meant trouble. "Please do. With the amount of explosives on the loose, the whole fleet could be jeopardized if we're too close together."

"Explosives?"

"Heero doesn't tell you a whole lot either, does he?" Duo muttered, apparently still bitter over something.

She gave him a sympathetically annoyed glance but didn't bother to answer that.

He sighed, turning back to Quatre. "What is he thinking?"

The other gave him a worried look. "Least chance of success..."

He rolled his eyes, "So do we go save his thankless butt or not?"

"From what you said, he's already the backup," Quatre answered. "We could be in their way."

Duo shook his head and sighed. "Would someone please tell that man he isn't made out of gundanium anymore?"

Quatre shook off the comment and eyed her closely. "Miss Relena?"

"I'll get the ships moved," she stated purposefully.

He blinked at her, a bit surprised, but nodded. "We have the Commander in custody aboard the _Star Grazer_, but I don't think that will stop Ferra from their plans."

"The Delmares?" she blinked.

"Madam Darlian, are you all right here?" the Captain peeked into the group between the makeshift circle of protectors.

"Captain Ontra, we have an emergency situation and we need your assistance," she stated sharply. She had one task and she intended to do it. "We need to disengage all ships from the colony and move them to individual orbits."

The man balked, eyeing her incredulously. "Surely there is no need for—"

"Captain, this is a precautionary step. We have reason to believe that explosives have been placed in the colony and could jeopardize the fleet," Quatre added quickly.

The man blinked. "Who are you?"

"Captain," she interrupted. "Please, I need you to believe me on this. If I have to get a Preventer order I will, but that's time no one is sure we have."

The man gazed at her respectfully, obviously noting the worried edge to her voice, and then glanced at the surrounding group. "By your orders, Ma'am," he stated and turned back to the bridge officers.

Duo gave her an appraising look. "You're rather handy at this stuff."

"What else can I do?" she asked quickly.

"Stay safe," Quatre stated quietly. "We have no way of knowing how far this goes."

"Speaking of going," Duo muttered.

The other nodded, his mouth creasing to a straight line, "Right."

"Be careful," she whispered, the words more of prayer than a request.

"Don't worry," Duo patted her on the shoulder as he passed. "These are the best odds we've ever had."

She tried to return his smile as the group disassembled around her.

But his grip on her shoulder tightened instead as the decking suddenly rocked beneath them. "What the…?" The group kept their feet but turned to stare up at the display screens, searching for an answer.

The Captain barked out orders from the front of the room, calling for an explanation. Quickly the screens changed to show an outside view. Secondary fireballs could be seen coming from the colony itself on the far side of their vantage point.

"We're too late," Quatre whispered.

Relena grabbed onto Duo's arm beside her to help suppress the violent shudder than ran down her back.

* * *

Twenty-six. Three times more than he expected to find… if any.

"Commander, can you move?" Noin asked as the man tried to elbow his way into position. They had not only found a combination of the most noteworthy people on the _Romulus_, they had discovered half of the original command team. No wonder Marcus needed them out of the way.

The man grunted a response and she helped him upright with some of the others. They were all terribly dehydrated and the oxygen supplies were all but depleted. Getting them to move freely would be a task, even in zero gravity.

Some of the more dangerously depleted oxygen cells were replaced with the ones he had brought, but there wasn't enough for everyone.

Zechs shook another body, free floating towards the back of the operation's building's meeting room where they had been kept. There was no response and a raspy voice whispered out, "She's been gone two days. Internal injuries. Nothing we could do without taking the suit off."

He felt slightly nauseous as he took the oxygen cartridge out of the back of her suit and checked its levels. Half full was better then most right now.

He moved the unfortunate woman over to the other three they had discovered as… 'unresponsive.' There was no way to verify that they were dead at the moment, and even if they were, they at least deserved to have their bodies brought back.

Space was lonely enough; it could just wait for another soul.

Noin paired off the group, selecting stronger survivors to take care of the weaker, or unconscious, members. In twos or threes, she took them out of the building and pushed them off towards the 'floor' and the access hatch at the bottom. There was no time to waste here, and they wouldn't be spotted descending through the dark colony interior.

There was a near silent buzz of static in his ear as Zechs tied the four bodies together, linking them as one floating unit. He paused, freezing his breathing to listen. It was a moment before the buzz came again, but it was enough of a warning.

He clasped a hand onto Noin's shoulder and spun her around, holding a finger up to silence her. Pointing to his helmet he made sure she was speaking through vocal only, and not short-range. "Someone's coming," he stated shortly.

"Let's get out of here then." She grabbed hold of the last two conscious survivors and moved them through the building's hallway to the exterior decking and then shoved them off into the blackened abyss.

Zechs maneuvered the four unfortunate crewmembers over the edge of the walkway as well, and sent them on their way. Grabbing Noin around the waist from behind, he launched them away, faster than the others. Once in motion, they kept their momentum, but the colony, although small comparatively, was still a long way from one point to the other, and with nothing to speed their decent, it took several minutes before they could see the 'floor' come into view.

"What will they do when they figure out their gone?"

"Either find us, or run into hiding themselves," he mussed as he felt her arms cross over the top of his.

"The only chance we have is to go directly to the command's supply ship with Relena. We can't trust any of the other ships to let us in."

"Relena will have most of the medical personnel set up there as well. If Dorothy was successful in warning her, they should be on the look out for us anyway."

"It won't be easy to get in to see her."

"We'll deal with it." He wrapped his arms a bit more securely around her. Even if there was nothing to really feel through the spacesuits, it didn't matter. He knew it was her, and that was enough. Zechs turned them around as the floor came into focus, the work lights on the wall illuminating their target area.

They landed gently enough, fighting a few moments to keep from ricocheting, as the first groups down caught hold of them. Piling them together the two led them out the emergency access hatch and onto the face of the colony. Across the surface sat the Mars supply ship, docked with manual clamps to the sidewall. With a clear line-of-sight, thruster packs wouldn't be necessary, and the group moved off.

Zechs kept himself to the back as Noin helped them out and sent them ahead, specifically watching. When the last group was in her hands, she turned back to find him at the hatch controls.

"We can't let them try to hide," he stated quietly.

"What are you saying?" she asked, an edge of shocked panic in her voice. She knew him too well.

"The group will need help getting to the ship, they are in no shape to do it alone."

"Zechs, what are you—?"

He moved back enough to let the hatch slowly close down. "Be careful, Lucrezia."

"Zechs! Don't!" Her form attempted to fight past the last crewmembers as she clawed her way back towards him and the closing entryway. "Let me come with you!"

"Not this time," he stated softly. "Be safe."

It was the last thing that she would have heard as the hatch closed and he purposefully locked it down, from the inside and out.

He pushed himself off again and angled his way towards one of the few building structures completed on this side of the colony. Halfway up the short-range kicked over again and static turned to noises and those turned to voices as he caught himself on the underside of the building.

"They'll be in need of medical attention and they haven't shown up on the other ships yet. There's only one place they can go."

"They would have needed help getting out of here in their condition."

"I realize that."

"What do we do?"

There was an indignant snort. "Find them."

That was Ferra alright. The young blond was never one to be out maneuvered. Well, she would have her hands full soon enough.

"This section has four access hatches, cover all of them. Start with the one below and the one we entered through, they're the closest. Check for signs of tampering and stand guard."

She also knew her way around the blueprints.

"But… if someone knows what we've done—"

Snap.

"Do not make me repeat myself."

Zechs watched four men plunge themselves down towards the floor. Allowing them to go he pulled himself up onto decking opposite of them. Another two moved off farther into the colony, and a group of three began to make their way back towards their entrance hatch.

The third lingered behind, moving cautiously along, scanning the buildings around them. Had to be her. Those were a fighter's instincts, something that would tell her she was being watched…

Ferra was better than he thought she was.

He moved steadily along, trying to keep close, but between her and the rest of the group. If he could take her down without the others noticing, it would be easy to round up the rest. But suddenly she stopped. With a hand on a projecting girder, she watched the two hired thugs move off before turning back to the building they came from.

Zechs waited, pressing himself into a shadow and staying quiet. She was contemplating something, but what he couldn't know.

And then she broke. Grabbing the beam, she used her legs and pushed off like a shot. The amount of equipment and un-fleshed building corpses gave her cover as she disappeared from sight.

'Forcing me to follow her instead. Very cleaver.'

There was a low chuckle in his ear. "Let me guess. Mr. Marquese… I didn't figure you'd die so easily."

Zechs switched his frequency back, and let a smirk tug at his lips. "Touching that you think so highly of me."

"What do I have to do to get rid of you?"

He moved slowly, cautiously easing himself into a better vantage point. "Go to prison where you belong. I promise not to visit."

There was a good-humored giggle. "Been there, done that, didn't stay."

There was a flash of movement to his right. He couldn't make out the position for sure, but something was better than nothing. Easing in, he crept between the riggings, bringing the deck railing into view again. If she went over the side, she could be nearly fifty meters out before the range circuit would fade.

"That explains a few things," he muttered, more to see if she was still close then to continue the conversation.

There was a sigh in his ear. "You're really rather fun, Mr. Marquese. I'm actually going to hate getting rid of you."

"I'm surprised Marcus sent you out here yourself. I figured clean up duty would be beneath you." His eyes searched the dimness, she had to be close.

"Well, I had a package to deliver, but it seems that nobody's home. I guess I'll have to leave it with the neighbor."

Package? They wouldn't do anything that drastic while there were outsiders around. They should have been looking for nothing but a quiet disposal…

Unless someone else suddenly made their list.

He mentally cursed. "Did someone stumble too far in?"

Sigh, "My dear husband is just far too popular."

"Poor judgment of character on your part." Come on, get ruffled, make a mistake.

"Speaking of which, did she make it through as well? I'm sure she did. You're rather… domesticated. It'd be a shame to break up such a _lovely_ pairing; where is that new bride of yours?"

That ruffled something alright.

Another flash of movement caught his eye from the side of the building. Something metallic by the glint.

It wouldn't take much to die out here. Even a harmless grazing could tear a hole their spacesuits and send them to depressurized oblivion. Except that he hadn't noted a gun on her before… That didn't mean she didn't have one. Besides, even a crowbar could break a faceplate.

"She's fine, I wouldn't want you to worry over her."

Sliding out of his position, he moved back along the equipment sitting next to the structure. He circled easily back around, coming in behind the unfinished walls at the edge of the complex.

"Well, it's nice to know I'll be running into her again," she chuckled. "I'll be sure to let her know every detail," she trailed off to a whisper.

"You're not exactly her favorite person right now. If you do see her, she won't be in the mood to listen."

Closing in on the corner, he sunk low to the decking and peeked around the edge, hiding in the shadows. Just beyond the building, over the railing, he spotted movement again—

A hand tool of some sort pin wheeled innocently out into the openness of the dark colony structure.

His curse echoed inside his head as he snapped back to the shadows just as a pair of boots clipped his shoulder. The jolt sent him cart wheeling until his outstretched hand caught a piece of the foundation, which stopped his momentum but smacked him bodily into the decking.

A giggle resounded, bouncing around with the ring in his ears from his helmet's concussion. Tracking back to her he found her shadow melding in with the others as she attempted to move out sight again.

"Too slow," he muttered.

His position on the decking allowed a perfect launch point as he pushed off at greater speeds then she was obviously counting on. He flew after her retreating form. Floating free she had nothing to change her position with.

Zechs clipped onto her shoulder and made a grab for her arm. Latching on, he found the construction site looming in front of them both. Snagging a foot onto an outcropping of a machine, he turned them both, flinging her around and releasing her into a half-finished wall. The secondary add of momentum sent her straight through it, her back hitting first, giving him the satisfying sound of her shortened cry.

His own motions were thrown askew by the release, but he fought it down enough to bounce harmlessly off the space next to the broken wall. Not pausing, he turned himself around and faced the hole, attempting to find her in the absolute dark of the interior.

He didn't get the chance to see it coming as a broken piece of board hurled itself into his chest. The small plank did no damage, but it distracted him long enough that the same pair of boots smashed into his chest.

The connection sent him backwards, crashing through an unplaced sheet of paneling, and back farther until the railing came into view, and beyond that, the emptiness of the rest of the colony.

Making a desperate grab, he snagged it in a one-handed hold. Again, he was brutally slammed onto the edge of the metal decking, his left hip meeting it painfully. Zechs looked up in time to see a purple spacesuit coming directly for him, and bit back the pain as he turned himself around and placed two hands on the rail for a pivot. Pushing off with his legs, he swung himself over the edge and straight into her.

He kept his grip as the momentum nearly tore his arms from their sockets. But Ferra flew backwards, her surprised cry cut off when his boots met her stomach, knocking her air out. Her body sped through the construction zone, clipping equipment here and there. Only her pained exclamations told him that she was still conscious.

Setting his feet down, he pushed himself off after her again, not daring to let her get her bearings when she landed.

Stretching out an arm, she grabbed onto a girder, and cried out in pain when the force slammed her back up against it. Zechs was right behind her, which she must have known as he came over the foundation work. Gasping, she moved aside as he slammed a foot and then a fist into the spot she had been.

In a flash, she had popped over his head, landing on the beams above them. He started after her, only to see her push herself off, directly out from the construction area and into the emptiness of the center.

He was about to go after her when she pulled something from her belt and held it out in front as she flew backwards.

"I hate to cheat at this, Mr. Marquese. But I just don't feel like playing any more," she gasped out.

"What?"

He narrowed his eyes as he deciphered her thumb depress towards her hand—Detonation switch! He started, snapping around to gage the distance between himself and the operations building, needing to know which way to jump.

He didn't get the chance as a fast moving body brutally slammed into his shoulders and threw him over the edge. By then the concussion of the blast ripped past, deciding for him which way he went.

The fireball exploded around him as he angled down, the force needing to eat through the amount of equipment and materials in the way before reaching him. But that meant that debris danced around him, coming dangerously close to the protective suit.

The flame expanded past him, and the thermal insulation fought to keep up with the sudden heat. But at soon as it came, it died, leaving the flickers of secondary fires to staccato through the rest of the colony structure. A line of explosions followed down the power lines, creating a crease in the outer wall.

His knees hit something solid before he realized that the colony floor had come up on him faster then he would have thought. Bracing himself, he tucked his body to roll as he landed hard against the outside wall, getting a cry of pain out of him as his hip and side were again bashed in.

Being slowed somewhat; he lashed out an arm and brought himself to stop, gasping at the pain in his shoulder at the jerk. He secured himself as best he could as he fought against the spots that clouded his vision. He looked up in time to see something else roll by him, and land in much the same fashion, a stifled gasp resounding in his helmet from it as well.

He didn't have time to contemplate it as he fought against the pain burning through him. He didn't notice until it was already too late that shrapnel had begun to rain down. A hand clasped over his arm and he was jerked upright as he was pulled forcefully off the colony wall. The trajectory was enough of an attempt to out maneuver the pin-balling chunks of metal and building equipment.

The hand on his arm jostled him. "Zechs, you alive?"

That voice… "Yuy."

That, just, figured.

He sighed, letting the scene slow to a normal pace. "Couldn't have shown up five minutes earlier, could you?"

"I'm getting tired of coming after you." The hand on his arm pivoted as the other spacesuit came into view in front of him. "How bad?"

He bit back the obscene reply and instead did a quick inventory on himself. "I'll live."

The other nodded. "I don't want to have to convince them I didn't do it."

Zechs let the smirk run over his face. "Really Heero, you're too concerned."

"Hn."

The younger man looked up and extended a hand to the looming curve of the wall. He too positioned himself to slide along the gentle slope until they both came to stop. "What the hell brought you out here?"

The reply was slow in coming. "You should know better than to worry her."

Relena. Of course, what else?

He chuckled through his erratic breathing, attempting to keep his mind off his injuries. "You've let her get to you." Even through the suit he understood the former pilot well enough to tell that he bristled. He knowingly waved it off. "They have that effect," he muttered, clutching at his left side.

* * *

"Every life is a march from innocence, through temptation, to virtue or vice." - Lyman Abbott

"True friends stab you in the front." - Oscar Wilde


	18. Chapter 16

"Manifestations"  
By Isis cw  
Chapter 16

Quatre let the group run ahead of him as he fought to keep up with Duo's stride. Rasid, Abdul, Ahmed and Auda kept pace between the two of them. Part of him didn't want to leave Miss Relena alone. But she had her own security, and he knew instinctually that she would rather have them on their way towards Heero and Milliardo than by her side.

And the other part of him wondered if he should be joining this group at all.

They raced down the corridors towards the access hatch, their suits having never been removed since they left the _Fuga_. But Quatre found himself blinking to keep the spots out of his vision as his heart rate accelerated again. He wouldn't do anyone any good if he blacked out in a fight but….

He had friends in trouble. Instincts had kicked in as soon as the fireballs showed up outside and had overridden his own physical condition. But he felt no pain for them. Nothing ached at his heart. But he also didn't know what to feel through the overwhelming ache already established.

That was the only thought that kept his legs pounding the decking and something besides the sound of his racing blood in his ears.

They turned the corner and Quatre fought to keep from running straight up Auda's back as the group halted. Finding a vantage point through the taller men in front of him, he found the hallway blocked off with a collection of bodies, half conscious, half not, and a littering of medical workers.

"There couldn't possibly be injured back here already. What happened?" Quatre pushed through to Duo's side.

The other young man knelt to one side of the hallway and pulled a half-conscious man to a fully seated position. "Are you from the _Romulus_?" he questioned him bluntly. The man nodded weakly. "How did you get back here? Who found you?"

Quatre watched as the man tried to speak through severely cracked and bleeding lips, and then pointed down the hallway towards the outer hatch to a figure in a purple spacesuit, her helmet still on. Duo almost literally climbed the wall and pushed himself off over the heads of the gathered assembly towards the figure indicated.

Meeting her, he grabbed onto her shoulder, both to stop himself and to turn her around. Quatre braced himself, fearing that the woman behind the helmet was actually the one that put these people in harm's way to begin with. But as she composed herself again the helmet was stripped off, revealing a friendly familiar face.

"Miss Noin!" he half called, half sighed.

She looked back at him and then turned back to Duo beside her. "What happened?"

"Explosion. That way," Duo tossed his head in the direction of the bulkhead. "Where're Heero and Zechs?"

"Heero?" she asked, confused. "I don't know. Zechs went back into the colony to…" she trailed off, fighting for words. "Doesn't matter," she stated instead, moving to put the helmet back on.

"Noin?" Quatre and the others were headed cautiously over the groupings of people in the corridor when Sally walked out of a side room that was apparently filled with other injured people as well. "Finally! Where have you been?"

"Sally?"

She threw a look over the area and threw her hands up. "Will someone tell me what is going on?"

"Agent!" an officer stuck her head out of the same doorway. "We have a call from the _Timor_, our group just took Ferra Delmare into custody as she tried to board."

"Fantastic," she sighed. "Now where's Heero to tell me why?"

"Keep her there," Quatre stated, coming up alongside Sally. "We need to find out if she's hiding anything else."

"Quatre?" Duo asked, impatiently yanking a thumb back towards the door.

"Go on; I'll take care of this."

* * *

Apparently somewhere in all of this, Relena had established herself as someone that the others were more likely to follow than to try to stop. Which was fine with her. Except that while they were by her side, their questions came freely.

Heero was going to have to come up with an awful lot of answers very quickly.

Forcing down the mild terror that built in her with the thought of him, she continued down the hallway and into the thick of a mass of piled bodies.

Sally's call for all available medical personnel had forced her away from the command center and the Captain's insistence on an explanation that she didn't have. Assessing the situation, she was utterly baffled with the injuries that were presented to her. The vast need of the crowd of people was IV drips to start re-hydration, as well as combating nutrient depletion.

These people weren't in the blast at all. They were being starved to death.

She worked through the room, doing what she could to get them out of their suits and checking any physical wounds, which were obviously suffered days ago. There were mostly mild injuries: a few with broken bones that she didn't dare attempt to move without an x-ray, some obvious internal bleeding, and a lot of bruising and swelling.

Identifying a few concussions, she placed people accordingly with the medical workers in the area. She worked without thinking as she fought to remove the suits and various degrees of clothing in order to correctly identify the extent of damage.

A blood-freezing scream came from the side room that was being used for the more dangerously impaired individuals. Relena snapped around towards the door but froze, her hands still gripping fiercely onto a patient's spacesuit sleeve.

Sally's voice barked out orders over the din of on-rushing personnel, calling for enough medication that Relena knew that if the man went under, he was never going to wake up again.

She let out a staggered breath and then clenched her jaw shut, forcing her stomach down and her eyes back on the woman in front of her. Getting the sleeve off, she literally ripped the underlying shirtsleeve apart, sheer adrenaline callusing her movements.

Slowly, all noise bled out of the room down the hall, but Relena kept moving, kept working, kept her eyes down and her ears off. "Tunnel Vision" was how her instructors had put it once. It was her only friend in these cases. Injuries only, deal with them first. Leave the emotional attachment for the recovery….

No matter how much training she had, or how well she had passed her courses, this was still the first real encounter she'd had. And she was struggling to try to feel prepared for it.

She made her way down the rows, prepping each for IV insertion and applying makeshift antiseptic to any exposed injuries. She left the real work to those who had more than a field certification. She saw no one in particular, just kept moving.

It wasn't until the bulkhead hatch opened again that most of the room looked up at the entrants. Two spacesuits staggered in, one supporting the other. Both men stripped off their helmets, the injured gasping for good air.

Relena started, her blood freezing as she stared at the two dearest men in her life, crossing the room to them without thinking.

Heero all but carried Zechs' shaking body into the hallway. The man probably should have passed out ten minutes ago, but he was too stubborn to give in. A fact Heero noted, with some sadistic humor, that was probably due to who was supporting him.

He moved him forward and gave him a glance when he forcefully bit back a yelp of pain. The trembling increased in the arm that was thrown over his shoulders.

"Milliardo!"

Heero looked up to find Relena gasping the name as she dodged bodies in the hallway towards them. For just a second his heart stopped as she moved forward, her yellow sweater and the borrowed charcoal slacks were smudged with blood, her hands covered with surgical gloves that she ripped off as she got to them.

Blinking finally, he figured out that the blood wasn't hers, and forced down the panic.

Her eyes found his as she reached out for her brother's body. Zechs, for the moment, was fighting with his breathing and didn't responding to her touch immediately. The fear was evident in her as he slowly worked both of them down to the patch of floor available. Relena sank first, all but catching Zechs' body as they moved, already working at the top closure of the suit.

"Milliardo?" she asked again, as the two flipped him over, his left side being favored extensively.

"I'll be all right," he breathed, tilting his head back in her arms as she ended up with his back in her lap.

Heero knelt to one knee, as he handed him over. "Left side. Internal bleeding, broken and probable bone splinters."

Zechs gasped out an annoyed sound. "Always the worst case scenario," he muttered, breathing easier now that he was stationary.

"I'd say that a man that's broken everything before should have a pretty good medical opinion." Sally made her way over, her uniform T-shirt and pants spattered with blood as well. "X-ray!" she called back over her shoulder.

Relena brushed his sweat-matted bangs back out of his face as the man finally let himself lose consciousness. "Milliardo?" she started.

"He'll be fine," Heero reassured her.

She looked up at him again, a stormy mixture behind her eyes. She searched his for a moment; adamantly trying to keep her trembling lips firmly together. She swallowed, forcing a breath, and nodded.

Giving her another look over, he eased his concern. "You're not supposed to be here."

She sighed, her eyes settling quickly on one look of genuine determination. "I can hide later," she stated.

He didn't bother arguing with that as he rose back to his feet. Sally came up beside them and took his place, starting into Zechs' suit with a pair of sheers. "You're going to want to be on the _Timor_," she stated, not turning away from the patient. "We found Ferra. Quatre's on his way. Duo, Noin and the others are out looking for you guys."

He blinked at her back, surprised and not completely understanding that, but following directions. Giving one last look over the group, Relena met his eyes again. "Be careful," she mouthed quietly, worry etched in with the rest of her emotions.

For all her bloodstained, disheveled appearance, and her brother's unconscious form slumped in her arms… she was all right. The strength in her eyes stared back at him, along with that dearly affectionate expression that he now seemed to warrant from her somehow.

But this wasn't over. He gave her a quick nod and then took a cursory glance around the hall, finding all three of his officers watching them as they assisted the injured as best they could. That was all he needed as he passed back into the airlock, ensuring his helmet sealed tight before closing it down and then opening the outer hatch.

* * *

Quatre entered the makeshift holding cell with a Preventers Major next to him. "They should be back in a minute. She suffered some physical injuries and they took her to the medical area to get checked."

He nodded, a growing lump forming in his stomach. Her capture of his group had been too easy, her involvement in ensuring they didn't get out of their holding room had been thorough; her knowledge of the explosives and the drugs she'd fed him was extensive….

Underestimating her would be costly.

"If I may ask," the man started, obviously bent on killing time. "Why did Agent Po send you?"

Psychiatrist. Quatre held back the grimace he felt come to his lips. "I've had a couple dealings with Miss Ferra, and Agent Po trusts my recommendations."

The man nodded passively as the door opened and two guards escorted Ferra into the room. Her hands were handcuffed and were currently laced behind her head. Her walk was slow, a limp to her left leg. Her dishwater-blond tresses hung in sweat-dampened layers, brushing her shoulders.

But her eyes were unclouded… calculated.

She still wore the sleeveless brown shirt and a pair of tight, black pants that rode a little low over her hips. With her arms up, the short shirt exposed about an inch of skin around her waist, revealing a set of abs that some men he knew would envy over. Her hazel eyes casually searched the room as she entered. Finding him, she blinked, humored surprise evident in them. "Mr. Winner," she smiled. "I'm happy to see you… alive."

Quatre studied her movements. The comment paused the group in the doorway, exactly where he didn't want her to be. "Come in, Miss Ferra, and please have a seat."

The two guards got the drift and nudged her forward until she walked again, coming fully into the room.

"Thank you," the Major nodded to the two officers and they moved to close the door behind her.

That wasn't smart. "If we could have them stay…" Quatre added quietly to the man beside him.

The other gave him an odd look but made no move to relay that request. "I see no reason to make Mrs. Delmare uncomfortable."

Quatre narrowed his eyes at the man. "Then at least have the door guarded."

He blinked, but by then the door had slid shut behind the two.

Casually he switched tactics. "For her protection, there could be others who do not want to be pointed out as accomplices." It was half true; he took some small comfort in that.

The other seemed to agree as he watched her come to stand behind the provided chair in the center of the room. "One moment then." The Major walked back behind her to the door and opened it, peeking his head around the corner and called back to the officers.

Quatre stared at Ferra, who apparently found the whole situation amusing. She chuckled lightly to herself, shaking her head. "I figured you to be a bit more upstanding than that," she sighed. "Why don't you ditch the stripes and we'll have real chat."

"I can't do that," he stated simply as the Major stood at the doorway still.

She met his eyes, smiling tightly. "This is a fun switch, isn't it?"

"Nothing like that happens here," he stated quietly, reassuring her that he meant her no physical harm. But he almost doubted that she had been concerned over such things.

He was doing well enough at keeping the tremble out of his hands, and without over doing it, should appear to be perfectly fine. She didn't need to know he was still feeling the effects.

The Major turned back into the room and closed the door once more. "Now then. Mrs. Delmare, would you like a seat?"

He saw her eyes flicker with annoyance as she glanced back to follow his pace as the other rounded again in front of her. "No, thank you," she said politely. "I'm getting sorer by the minute and my knee isn't especially inclined to being bent right now."

"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that."

Quatre took the initiative and strode forward to remove the chair from within kicking range of her, placing it back against the wall.

"You're sure that you're a businessman, Mr. Winner?" she asked accusingly, the sarcastic smile aimed directly at him. By now, she had come to find out as much of what he was capable of as he knew of her.

"Of course, Miss Ferra."

"Mrs. Delmare," the Major started, clasping his hands behind his back. "Can you tell me what brought you to Mars?" He began to pace quietly along the side wall, and when he wasn't watching, she gave him an annoyed look and rolled her eyes.

Turning back to Quatre, she shook her head and chuckled. "What are your real questions? You're not keeping me here because you want to know how my dog died when I was three."

The other man stopped, turning back to her from the front corner of the room. "Excuse me?"

Quatre stepped in, fighting his impulse to kick the man out with the other officers. "We want to know if there are any other explosives set around the fleet."

She sighed quietly. "I have made quite the mess, haven't I?"

"Miss Ferra, please cooperate with me," he asked earnestly. "I don't think you really want to get anyone else hurt, especially now."

She found his eyes again. "Now? What's to stop me now? How much do I have left to worry about?"

She wasn't kidding. "Your husband." She blinked, her eyes hardening just slightly, but it was enough. "You know that if I'm standing here, he failed in his task."

She remained absolutely still, not even a flinch.

"He'll be all right, but we are holding him. If you don't tell me if there are other explosives set to go off, you run the risk that he will be in the line of fire."

She blinked, her expression softening, and a smile slowly sliding onto her face. "You're very, very good at this, Mr. Winner."

He took one step forward in good faith, still remaining outside of her reach. "Please tell me, Ferra," he stated quietly, locking his eyes to hers.

Her smile widened, going genuine as she closed her eyes on his look. "I knew I liked you."

He waited, trying to stay steady.

"No, Mr. Winner, there are no other bombs set to detonate on their own. There are, however, several more mines that could be used by the handful of people who know where they are."

"In the locker on the _Fuga_?" he asked, knowing Duo had taken care of anyone trying to get into that room for the time being.

She still didn't open her eyes. "Very, very good at this," she mused. Softly, she opened her eyes again, her chin dipped low, veiling their expression slightly. "Where is my husband?" It was a whisper, heartfelt and nearly fearful sounding.

He didn't buy it. "He's safe."

She turned her head away, looking down across her shoulder. "Did you hurt him?"

Concern, not anger…. Quatre's instincts kicked in full force with the mood change. He paced another step in, prepared if she tried something.

"Mrs. Delmare, I assure you that your husband is being looked after," the Major finally interrupted.

Quatre got it too late.

The psychiatrist, taken in by the sad plea of a young woman for her husband, had stepped up beside her, and moved to face her. His training taught him to always be a comforting force in the room, to search for the buried emotions.

Quatre's training taught him to never get too close to a dangerous person, even when they appear docile.

Reflectively Quatre moved. He crossed the gap between them just as the Major found Ferra's hands come over her head and clamp onto his shoulders. Using him as a level she heaved herself off the floor, bending her body to bring her "supposedly" stiff knees up and kicked the man full force. Releasing her hands from him at the same moment, she sent them both backwards in the counter balance of low gravity.

Quatre's momentum wasn't fast enough, and dodging only managed to get him clipped by the man's flailing body as the officer attempted to use him for a stopping block. The stupidity of the action cost him as Ferra moved, unobstructed, towards the door.

He dislodged the grip and swiped the man away, focusing on Ferra's retreating form as she suddenly split her hands apart; picking the handcuffs had obviously not been a challenge to her. She reached the door and smacked it open, wasting time as he closed in on her.

But as the door moved aside, she reached out beside it in the hallway and viciously grabbed the officer standing there, catching him completely off guard from an attack coming from within. Pivoting him around the doorway with herself, she flung the screaming officer into the room, forcing him in Quatre's direction.

He was ready for that, ducking out of the way of the falling body. But it took him time as she rounded the corner and he lost her from sight for a few precious split seconds. There was a grunt from the hallway as Quatre made it around the door, and then ducked back in as two rapid gunshots staccatoed through the corridor.

The second officer must have drawn her sidearm when her partner suddenly disappeared, but she obviously wasn't prepared for the force that assaulted her either.

The shots had been wide, un-aimed; they were meant to keep him at bay long enough for an escape plan to come to mind. He gave her a few seconds to turn and make her way down the hallway before he tried again to move after her. Entering the corridor, he saw her reach the end and then drop her feet to push herself off in a change of direction.

He could see her injured knee buckle under the momentum that she was putting on it in her flight as she managed the corner. The blatant display of injury from before had obviously been a ruse designed specifically to throw them off guard, but she was hurting and her diminished abilities were slowing her down.

That didn't change the fact that she was now armed, and had absolutely nothing left to lose.

* * *

The sound of gunfire echoed down the metal corridor, forcing the group to a sudden stop. Heero unzipped the spacesuit as they moved out at dead sprint in the direction of the sound. Pulling his gun from underneath the suit, he clicked the safety off.

Duo, Noin and a group of Maguanacs found him as soon as he left the supply ship, carrying with them four crewmembers who had apparently tried to stop them from entering the colony side in search of Zechs. The Mags had taken the Delmare's lackeys aboard and were currently letting them wake up.

Noin had surprised him when she joined the group headed for the _Timor_ instead of back to Zechs, who he told her was in Relena's care. The woman seemed to be concentrating elsewhere, which he found odd.

Duo was just along for the ride, and was filling in some of the gaps of what he'd missed and why Quatre, of all people, was the one with Ferra.

Quatre….

Coming to an intersection near the command center the three stalled. The sound had been distant and there was no way to correctly identify which direction it had come from.

"Split up," he ordered, taking off immediately down the left adjoining hallway.

"Wait! There!" Duo and Noin were still standing in the intersection when he whipped back around, only a few feet into the run. Down the opposite row, Ferra came into view bouncing painfully off the connecting wall as she failed to make the corner correctly. Her left knee twisted badly under her as she fought for balance, but instead rebounded with a cry of pain.

"Stop right there!" Noin shouted from in front of him.

It was the wrong thing to do to give away their position.

Heero started in motion as soon as he saw the gun swivel in their direction. Duo tracked it too, his instincts kicking in hard as he shoved Noin forcefully out of the clearing of the intersection. Dropping low, he made a dash for the protection of the nearest wall on the opposite side; knowing the only armed member of the group was behind him.

Heero took aim over Duo's head before the woman had a chance to pull off even a blind shot. The trigger was halfway back before the sight of a familiar blond came into view from the corridor she had just left, unknowingly planting himself directly behind her.

Heero yanked the gun up as it fired, easily missing both of them, but leaving him open for her still tracking weapon.

He jumped aside as three rounds came flying in their direction, implanting themselves in the hallway walls as he dipped himself to roll to a stop against Duo's crouched form. Springing to his knees, he leveled his aim around the corner and into the hall again, carefully conscious this time.

He was met with the sight of a disarmed woman, slouched back against Quatre, who had both of her arms painfully pinched behind her.

Dropping his aim, he re-engaged the safety. Giving him a glance, Duo returned a confused expression and then poked his head around the corner as well. The two rose, finding a collection of Preventers and crewmembers hurriedly coming up on them, clinging to the walls of the adjoining corridors.

Noin had regained her feet and was now stalking towards the pair as Ferra continued to try to struggle in Quatre's unrelenting grip. Heero was about to designate three officers to take her back to a holding room when he noticed Noin ball her hand into a fist—before viciously punching Ferra in the face.

Ferra's head snapped backwards at the force, Quatre's grip the only thing that kept the woman upright. "Miss Noin!" he gasped. His startled expression cleared almost instantly as he moved Ferra sideways, half protecting her in case the woman decided to go for two.

"Whoa," Duo mumbled from beside him. "Someone's got issues."

Heero didn't do so well at keeping the smirk off his face.

* * *

The Preventers crews had officially put the fleet on lockdown. Restricting movement was the best defense they had at the moment, and it gave the crews time to finally rest and collect themselves. Straggling accomplices to the Delmares' plans were slowly being rounded up, conveniently thanks to the groupings of financial reports and "payroll" lists Zechs had pilfered out of Marcus' offices over a week ago.

Heero and Duo had removed the remaining explosives, disarmed them and sent their scrap parts to the meltdown bins. Quatre and the Maguanacs had returned to the _Star Grazer_, seeing to their own security of the ship and their hosted crews, leaving the Preventers to the other areas.

Sally, Relena and the others had gotten the rescued crewmembers of the _Romulus_ stabilized. The medical teams had turned to shifts; keeping pace with the amount of needed attention the men and women required. This finally relieved Sally long enough to get a message back to Mars Command, and through them, Commander Une.

Duo hopped up to sit on top of the communication's console next to her as she disconnected, finally noticing their approach. She turned a tired smile to them as Heero crossed his arms and leaned a hip against the station beside him.

"Well, we've been officially commended for our actions," she sighed, chuckling lightly. "There's going to be a good deal of things coming down in the next couple days. Une wants a standing Preventers force out here just in case someone else gets this idea again. As soon as Relena gets back to work, guess what her first legislative push is going to be?"

"Mars gets to be the next 'foreign' district?" Duo suggested with a smile.

Sally nodded. "The girl's going to have her work cut out for her with this mess."

Heero nodded in silent agreement as she looked up at him. Mars had already shown it was capable of the same ignorant and selfish demands that humanity had come to expect. It wouldn't be long before something else crept up out here.

And Relena had already unknowingly planted herself in the thick of it.

"You know, she's a handy person to have around," Duo mumbled. The two turned odd expressions to him until he shrugged. "What? She's is. She gets all… fiery and determined," he smiled before winking at Heero. "I think I finally get it."

Heero's look didn't faze him a bit.

Sally chuckled, rubbing at her eyes. "Yeah, I know that look."

Duo shook his head, "But you're gonna have to watch that girl. One of these days her idea of the sideline is going to be half court."

Heero inwardly sighed, agreeing completely with that statement.

"Well, what else are you good for?" Sally smiled at him and the two chuckled at his expense.

"Anything else?" he asked instead.

"Yeah," she brushed it off. "It seems that my dear partner wasn't all that bored without me." Sally leaned her head against the back of her chair and closed her eyes. "They tracked down an accounting firm that was laundering money through the Mars Project's 'accidental death' insurance policy. All hundred and twelve million dollars worth of it."

Duo whistled. "These guys don't kid around do they?"

Glancing up, she gave Heero a smile. "We were on to something with those encoded financial reports. We just didn't know what. And apparently, after Relena's announcement, our nameless informant got suspicious."

"Nameless" was an obvious pun as she smiled to herself. Duo glanced between the two looking confused before it clicked. "Trowa?"

"Apparently he learned enough from Quatre's little building project to know those numbers didn't match a typical colony fabrication. He and Wufei managed to do a very nice job of 'gathering' the information needed on them."

"We need to start getting paid for this," Duo muttered to himself.

Sally chuckled at him. "Well, you know…."

He snapped both hands up defensively. "Nope, sorry. Brown's just not my color."

She sighed to herself and leaned forward to prop her face up with both hands. "I don't know about everyone else, but I'm wiped out."

"Hey, you had a long day," Duo comforted, standing up and patting her on the shoulder.

She nodded and looked past him to Heero again. "We'll debrief tomorrow morning instead."

"Hn. Where are the others?"

"Med deck," she smiled. "I left Noin and Relena with specific instructions."

* * *

Making his way down the corridor to the actual medical deck, it wasn't hard to determine which room Zechs was being treated in. Across the hall, his three subordinates lounged against the wall, quietly chatting as he approached.

"Agent Yuy," Delano noticed him.

The other two turned to track his movements, looking tired and worn by the events.

"We have a debriefing in the observation room tomorrow morning," he stated quietly, not exactly pausing his pace as he turned quietly into the room they were guarding. "Get some rest."

He didn't leave them the chance to ask the questions he knew were coming, and instead slipped into the tiny med-bay. The sight that he was presented with was about as humorous as it was disturbing.

Zechs lay flat on his back, heart, blood pressure and breathing monitors wiring him into position. The man stared passively straight up at the ceiling, looking nearly sedated. Although Heero figured that it wasn't chemically induced. The two women around him seemed far more bent on holding him down, than he seemed intent on getting up.

On the far side of the small bed, Noin sat near his shoulder; one arm propping herself up against his chest. Relena, however, was using a bit more of a direct approach as she actually sat perched on top of his chest, her legs neatly crossed at the ankles as they draped over the side of the bed, very careful to avoid coming too close to his hip area.

Heero stopped short as the two women continued to giggle over something, both facing away from the doorway. Pity wasn't exactly a reaction he typically had for anyone, especially this particular man, but he was sure he felt it mildly as he once again stepped forward, fighting gallantly to keep from chuckling.

The two women finally noticed him as he came in and paced up in front of Relena. She gave him a smile and seemed genuinely relieved with the situation as a whole.

"Wait a minute…" Noin stared at him incoherently a moment. Zechs still didn't move. "When did this happen?"

Heero blinked, glancing down at himself, fully attired in his uniform again, jacket and all. He looked up to find Relena wide-eyed in front of him, her back all but facing Noin on the other side of the bed. "Oh… that would be my fault," she mumbled.

Noin turned from him to her as Relena twisted back to make eye contact.

"I may have forgotten to call recently," she added.

Zechs finally quirked an eyebrow at the two, before rolling his head over to look at him. A mild surprise lifted his head from the pillow a moment, but then dropped it back down, returning his stare to the ceiling tiles. "Didn't see that one coming."

Noin was oblivious. "Forgotten to call?"

Relena giggled nervously at the incredulous look on the older woman. "Well…."

Finding this extremely ironic, Heero inwardly smirked. "That's not the only thing you missed out on." The two turned to regard him. "Unless I'm the only one who didn't get an invitation."

The reaction he was waiting for came as both Noin and Zechs paled before staring at him a moment and then turning back to Relena. For her part, Relena gave him an odd look and then noticed the guilty expressions the other two had. "What?"

It was Noin's turn to chuckle nervously as she slunk a little farther away from her. "Okay, I can forgive not calling."

Zechs looked up between the two of them, carefully staying very quiet.

Relena looked confused. "What are you…?" Her expression dropped slowly away as she stared at Noin, who was obviously fighting to keep from laughing. "No." Snapping down to her brother, he sheepishly met her eyes and blinked. "You didn't."

Relena, not so gently, jumped off and landed on the floor, whirling back on the two, her hair whipping around quick enough to almost catch Heero in the face.

"What do you mean 'call' me?" she cried. "I have to come all the way out here, thinking the two of you have been blown to tiny bits, only to find out that, not only are you fine, but you got married! …Without me!"

Heero was thankful he was now mostly hidden behind her as his smile refused back down.

"It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing," Noin offered quietly.

Relena smacked her hands on the bed in front of her, leaning over her brother's body as she stared at her newly found sister-in-law. "And you didn't think that was important enough to tell me? Or were you busy honeymooning on Deimos?"

Noin grimaced and then looked down at her husband for help. Zechs simply lay there, calmly staring upwards. "Yuy, I should still kill you," came the monotone reply.

Shaking his head, Heero decided that the man would probably make good on that if this continued much longer. Stepping away, he took Relena by the elbow and began tugging her from the room. "Sally's waiting for you."

"Coward," Zechs passively muttered.

"No, wait! Heero, let go of me! Lucrezia…." Slowly he felt her anger die out of her, and he released her again as they met the doorway. "Oh…." Turning back in, she jogged back around the bed and grabbed her sister in a tight hug.

"I am happy for you," she whispered.

Noin hugged her back, smiling into her hair.

Releasing her, Relena gave Zechs a makeshift hug and pecked a kiss on his check. "Stay in bed, or you'll be making a very young widow."

Heero waited for her in the hallway as she made her way out, a happy smile to her lips, which didn't fade as he walked with her.

They were around two corners and starting up the stairway when she suddenly stopped beside him. Heero turned back to her as she pinned him with a curious stare. "How did you know?"

He blinked but then continued on their way. "I overheard something."

He felt her continue after him, silently mulling that over. "Too much alike for your own good," she muttered.

Heero silently refuted that.

Crossing the corridor by the command center, Duo and Sally met them in the hallway, apparently having just finished informing the Captain of his routine for the downtime.

"Hey there, Princess," Duo called. Meeting them, he slung an arm over her shoulders and gave a look over the vastly oversized T-shirt she now wore, replacing the blood-smeared sweater. "You holding up?"

She gave him a confident nod. "How's Quatre?"

"Looked a little woozy, but he'll be fine. Went back to check on the others and get some sleep, I think."

Sally stifled a yawn from behind them as they moved along. "That sounds nice."

* * *

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." - Helen Keller

Proofed by: Lisa. Thank you!


	19. Story Arc Chapter 3

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Arc Chapter 3

Quatre stripped out of a spacesuit for what he hoped to be the last time for at least a while. He quickened his pace as he felt Rasid's eyes on his back. His dear friend wasn't convinced anymore that he was all right, but he'd refused to be led to one of the medical personnel. He just needed to sleep off the after-effects.

Hanging the suit quickly he left the locker rooms and headed for the bridge, cautiously without drawing attention to himself. The concern was heartfelt, he knew that, but he didn't need to be fawned over… and he was too tired to feel that he could be polite about it right now.

Entering the bridge he found a couple of his crew monitoring the ship and locking down the hatches now that all should be aboard, complying with the Preventers order. But the person he was actually looking for was nowhere to be found.

Manul noticed him enter and puffed out a grateful sigh. "You had us all worried, Master Quatre," he stated, making his way to his side.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he answered back. Changing topics before the other man could inquire about his health he asked, "Do you know where Dorothy is?"

The man grinned from ear to ear and nodded. "Everyone knows where the Lady is," he mumbled.

Quatre blinked, specifically noting the way "Lady" came across, and then figured it could be for the best that he didn't understand that.

"She's in the officer's cabin. She's been settling the crewmembers we took in, and then she's busied herself patching up the rest of us." He held up a lightly bandaged wrist and chuckled.

"What happened?" he asked, shocked at the wrapping.

The other raised an eyebrow. "You were out for some time, Master Quatre."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he whispered, feeling terrible for putting the group is such a position.

The other waved it off. "No harm done, right?"

Quatre nodded softly, not wanting the headache to start in again.

"Well, she'll be waiting for you, I'm sure."

Rasid and Auda entered the bridge behind them. "We have the ship under lockdown, and I will ensure that the airlock is guarded."

"Thank you," he stated.

The man looked down at him, the bit of disapproval in his eyes that Quatre had grown used to when he didn't take care of himself. "Please get some sleep."

Quatre gave him a reassuring smile. "I will, I promise."

He started out of the room again and down the hall to the only private quarters on the ship. He didn't exactly trust putting Dorothy in with the Mars crews they had taken aboard, so he mused that this would be the best place for her.

Knocking softly he closed his eyes a moment, resting them as they started burning again. There was a call to come in and he pressed the door open.

Dorothy sat in the chair under the observation window of the small room, close enough that the bed could make a second chair for someone else entering. An emergency kit lay open on the shelf beside her, a bottle of antiseptic salve readily available.

Quatre felt another pang of guilt as he entered, remorseful for his crew he'd put in harm's way.

Dorothy sat with her legs crossed and a book in her lap, obviously finishing a paragraph in it before looking up to see who entered. Well, he supposed she didn't need to be all that guarded by now, and she had even ended up missing half the action.

He was surprised to find her being this passive.

Finally she turned her violet-gray eyes to him, a smile creeping into her features. "Well, well. If it isn't the conquering hero."

The light-hearted playfulness was a stark contrast to most of his grave-minded crew after all of this. "I think you have me confused," he mumbled, coming in to stand in front of her.

"Really?" she pouted, snapping the book shut with pop. "Well, how am I supposed to write a great epic from that type of attitude?"

He let the smile slip up naturally as she placed the book on the ledge, ensuring it wouldn't float off again, before holding up her left hand towards his face, expecting him to close the distance to her. Quatre blinked as she rummaged through the box, not actually paying attention to the fact that he hadn't moved.

"I'm assuming that you still haven't had that checked," she stated without question.

He sighed inwardly again. "Dorothy, I'm fine. Really."

"I'll be the judge of that, if you please," she stated, finally turning to face him again. Meeting her eyes he knew he wasn't going to get out of this.

"If I don't please?" he asked anyway even though his feet had carried him the extra distance to her.

She blinked, giving him a small, warm smile that he wasn't sure he'd seen before. "I'm not going to hurt you, Master Winner," she commented softly.

Quatre leaned down, meeting his cheek to her outstretched hand, allowing her to tilt his head to get a look at his right temple. He then took another step in, and hoped he looked casual when he braced himself up with a hand on the arm of her chair. The room slowed to stop again for him as she scrutinized the swollen mark.

"Not bad actually. How are you feeling?" she asked, turning his face and specifically searching his eyes.

"Fine," he stated automatically. When the forked eyebrow rose he relented. "Tired."

That got a nod out of her. "You have a right to be." Turning back to the box, she slipped her hand away from his chin. "Humor me with giving that a proper cleaning, and I promise I'll let you get some rest."

Right now, anyone making that promise could get whatever they wanted. But leaning over her wasn't going to work, and he let himself fall down to one knee beside the chair. Dorothy didn't seem to notice as she unwrapped a medical pad and prepped it with an alcohol rub.

His hand on the chair's arm started to tremble again and he pulled it away, sinking himself to a sitting position next to her. Looking up, he watched her work. "Dorothy?"

She met his eyes again as she moistened the little cotton pad.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

She blinked, seemingly confused by the question. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He didn't know. There was just some lingering feeling in him that she was in trouble. "This hasn't been a fun trip for you either," he said instead.

She let her predatory smirk slip into view as she leaned down closer to him. "Oh, I wouldn't say that."

He tried to give her a weary look, but he was sure it came out just looking tired.

She chuckled at him anyway, but then took a closer look. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I just need to sleep it off," he answered honestly. None of them needed to know his real injury. She shifted closer, leaning towards him as he let her touch tilt his head so she could see clearly.

Gentle. Almost tenderly she moved the pad to trace the swollen cut, as her other hand was held against his jaw and neck, keeping him still. He let his eyes close, helping their nagging to stay that way. It was actually painful to keep them open any longer.

"Quatre?"

"…_don't die."_

He snapped his head up to look at her, the familiar voice rolling through his mind. Her surprise was evident, her hands frozen where they'd pulled away. He blinked back the feeling of panic. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I guess I'm a little jumpy."

That didn't explain the feelings swirling through him though. It didn't explain why he felt so sure that she had said those words to him just… when? His memories were tangled in shadowy images that didn't make any sense. He'd been drugged, more than likely he had dreamed—hallucinated—so vividly that he would have thought it was real.

But he couldn't remember it. Couldn't sort out the feelings from the images. And couldn't sort those from the truth.

Staring up at Dorothy, who was staring back down at him… she wasn't buying it.

He saw the concern wash through her, her eyes not even trying to mask it. Slowly she leaned towards him again, both of her hands coming to hold his face between them. "Quatre?" she searched his eyes again. "What else did they do to you?"

He didn't want to tell her. Really he had no reason not to, but he just didn't want to deal with it right now. "I'll be fine. Please trust me. I'm just still shaky."

She seemed slightly satisfied with that, and she leaned back, taking her hands away and wadding the pad up and stuffing it in a sack with several others. "Fine, but no dying on my watch, alright?"

He should have known better than to think that concern would last for too long.

He let the smile tug at his tired expression, and let his head droop until it landed lightly on her knee. Her giggle kept him there a moment, finding it odd that he honestly found her laughter addictive for once. "What am I going to do with you boys?" she mumbled. "You go out and have all the fun, and then I get stuck patching you up."

"I'm sorry, Dorothy." He let the smile widen, his eyes still closed as he heard her open the salve jar. "We did let you have a heroic rescue for all your trouble."

She chuckled merrily. "Oh what fun." Gently she brushed a hand through his hair and he slowly picked his head up to move so she could get the disinfectant in place. Fighting to open his eyes, he felt her lightly guild him back down as he turned towards her, letting him use her knee for a pillow. "Marcus has just been sulking over it since he woke up."

Bringing his arm up, he used his elbow for a more suitable pillow, leaning his weight against her crossed legs for support. "His wife is still the one that I'm worried about."

"Really?" The cool touch of the balm smudged its way over the side of his head.

"She's… determined." That was the nicest word he could probably use right now.

"What does she have left to be determined over?"

"That's exactly the problem."

"Ah…."

The smell of antiseptic filtered around him as she worked. "You're good at this," he complimented.

"Well, none of my other patients fell asleep in my lap," she cooed, and he could hear the smirk in her voice.

…And for once, he was too tired to care. "Their loss."

Her laughter vibrated through both of them. "I love it when you're sleep deprived, you know that?"

He smiled as best he could. "Do I change?"

"Yes. You lose all of those polite inhibitions."

Great, he became an inconsiderate jerk and she loved it. "Sorry," he mumbled, knowing she hated it when he apologized so much.

She sighed at the apology but chuckled again, running her free hand over his tangled, sweat-dried hair. "You probably should have had a couple stitches, but by now I don't see the point in forcing it."

He didn't have a strong enough need to reply to that and simply stayed where he was. For the first time since all this started, the ache started to ease out of him. For once, he was calm.

Her touch ruffled through his hair again. There was something in that feeling that lingered through him. The feeling that she was close, concerned….

"_Quatre?"_

"_Yes, Dorothy."_

"_Quatre… don't die."_

_Yes, that was her…._

There was no image that came with the voices, only the feelings. There was pain, he had been fighting to breathe, his body had been shutting down, but then…. Everything went black, and the only thing that he could hear was her voice. Her quiet plea.

"Dorothy?" he managed to whisper.

"Yes?"

"Why did you come after us?"

There was a pause as her fingers brushed his bangs back again. "I was concerned."

A short answer. He knew by now that the only time that you got a straight, short answer out of Lady Catalonia was when she didn't really feel like sharing. That was all right, he didn't need to push the issue. "Thank you," he said instead, meaning it more than she would ever know.

"I caused you more trouble than I was worth," she mumbled.

He forced himself to blink his eyes open, slowly finding hers for just a moment. "No."

She shook her head. "If we hadn't shown up, they wouldn't have suspected you."

He let his eyelids fall again. "You don't know that."

"I suppose," she sighed.

Again her same soft touch caressed through his hair, somehow bringing up odd images. Things that he probably should have forgotten, but hadn't yet. "It's over, isn't it?" he asked, just wanting someone to put a final stamp on it all.

"These types of things are never over, they just become recycled. Food for thought for the others around the same table. You know that."

Yes, he knew that. But right now, he'd do his best to forget that.

"Let yourself rest," she said quietly, her voice softening around the edges. "Your battles are done for the day."

Quatre let the sound lull him a little deeper into the darkness.

…Battles. Explosions, fireballs, a crew carrier sinking, the littering of bodies thrown into the ink of space—Anger behind those violet eyes.

He forced himself to blink open his burning eyes, the ache in every muscle of his body coming back in full force. And then… that nearly maternal touch. The worry bled out again, although it was getting hard to distinguish reality anymore.

There was soft chuckle beside him. "Dear Quatre. As much as I don't mind, we should get you some real sleep."

He silently agreed with that… although he was sure that would involve moving. Forcing himself to work, he reopened his eyes and slowly pushed himself back to a normal sitting position. The full brunt of his actions were finally soaking in, and he slowly realized that he was going to be terribly embarrassed about this tomorrow.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, knowing she'd chide him for apologizing again. "I should give you you're room back."

"Mine? Oh, no. This is the captain's quarters," she stated, uncrossing her legs and standing up, taking his arm.

"No, really Dorothy. It's the only private room onboard," he reminded her. The more he moved, the more his brain came back online.

He let her help him back to his feet, which he was rather thankful for. "You're joking. I spent two days squished into a scout ship with Rasid's overzealous concern, Manul's perfectionist attitude and Abdul's snoring." She stepped back a couple paces with him and easily pushed him down to sit on the bed. "I've basically discovered that peace and quiet are not prerequisites for you guys."

The sympathetic smirk that came to his face was genuine as he worked those statements over. "Have I mentioned that I'm sorry?"

"Yes!" she puffed.

"Just making sure."

Leaning down in front of him she caught his half-open eyes. "You need the rest far more than I do. Besides, I always land on my feet," she winked.

He drooped his head with a sigh, not wanting to give in to her. But the light push on his arm sent him sideways before he really had a chance to catch himself.

There was a merry giggle and he would have been annoyed if it wasn't such an effort. "What is it with you men and your inability to take care of yourselves?" she mused.

Finally resigned, he laid out flat on the bed and let himself sink into the cushion.

"There now," she cooed. He felt the cover from the other side of the bed come over the top of him as she folded him in. "All tucked in."

Yes, he was going to be very terribly embarrassed by this tomorrow….

He peeked his eyes open again as he felt her sit down on the edge beside him. Closing in, she crossed her arms and leaned them again his chest as he blinked up at her.

Her amused expression was one he knew he was going to regret. "Thanks," he muttered.

She smiled with a chuckle. "Of course, dear." Her eyes softened and her smile turned genuine. "Rest easy."

He silently hoped so as he closed his eyes again a moment. He felt her shift softly beside him, but he didn't realize why until her nose brushed his and her lips met against his for just a brief second.

But this time he was ready for her.

His eyes opened enough for his hand to slip out from the covers and snag her arm before she managed to get too far away. With her weight still shifted on her arms over his chest, he easily pulled her back down. Managing to lift his head enough to meet her, he found her lips as she took a surprised breath.

He didn't give her the chance to pull away. He caressed her lips with his until he finally felt her respond. His grip on her arm loosened but he kept hold of her jacket sleeve, keeping her close. Softly his head hit the pillow again as she followed him, her kiss gentle.

More gentle than he was being. Dorothy, for once, was following, responding… and loving it.

She felt him reposition his lips on hers, continuing his embrace. He was tender, chaste, but…. Dorothy let the thoughts slip away as he lightly pulled back, breaking the sensation. She remembered to open her eyes and looked down into his. The sea-blue depths blinked almost painfully, but they were still beautiful.

His hand had released itself entirely from her arm and had fallen back at his side.

But still the two said nothing. She was surprised beyond all reckoning, and he was… well, he was half-asleep. The realization brought a smile to her lips again, and she moved once more to right herself.

"Goodnight, Quatre," she whispered as his eyes closed again.

She thought the word he tried to whisper was probably "goodnight" as well, even though no sound came out.

Smoothing the cover over him again, she quietly stood, picked up the medical supplies, and headed for the door. He didn't move when she paused and looked back over him. Finally taking a deep breath to regroup herself, she turned the lights off and opened the door….

To be presented with a group of five Maguanac soldiers hurriedly looking over the corridor's wall plates.

"All seems okay in this section," one of them mumbled to the group. They all nodded and offered "specifics" on the type of "work" they were obviously doing. Most of which sounded an awful lot like changing the polarity of a flux capacitor to her.

Dorothy blinked at them a moment before exiting and closing the door behind her. "Gentlemen," she cooed fondly to them.

"Oh, hello Lady," Auda even tried to venture from the back of the group.

"What seems to be the trouble?"

"Oh, nothing for you to worry over," Abdul answered, one hand behind his head.

"Really?" She slid over to the man, the closest to her side. "It seems you've discovered a problem," she sighed, snaking in close. She was finally rewarded with getting his glasses to fall down his nose. "Perhaps it would be easier for you to hear if I kept the door open next time?"

The Maguanacs balked. All of them. Score five for the Dorothy column.

"Wha-what do you mean?" he asked with a nervous laugh.

"Honestly, now," she mumbled low, bringing a pout to her lips as she slipped a hand up to his chin and forced him to meet her gaze. "What sort of woman do you expect that I am?"

Plus five again.

"No! We'd never… uh… think like…."

She chuckled lightly, releasing the man and closing her eyes. "Ah well, regardless, it seems I've lost my room for the evening." Taking a demure look around the group she purred, "Perhaps I can bunk somewhere else?"

Plus five.

The offers were more than comical. She suddenly had a snore index of each one of them, Abdul of course scoring highest, as well as a listing of the disrepair of each room assigned between the five of them.

She was in very good humor by the time Rasid cleared his throat from behind the arguing men. Again the group collectively started at his sudden appearance and she had to hold back the snicker.

"If the Lady needs a room, we will double bunk and give her a private one."

"That's terribly generous of you, Captain. I wouldn't want to be an inconvenience," she sighed, her eyes closed, her hands together on the medical kit in front of her.

"Not at all," he mumbled when she met his eyes again. "I seem to have a group of volunteers for you already."

The group sighed, but kept their obvious grumbles to themselves.

She turned a polite smile to all of them as Rasid broke through them and offered her his arm. She favored him with a tiny curtsy for the surprise gesture and took it. "Why, thank you."

* * *

"There is no duty more obligatory than the repayment of kindness." – Cicero

AN: I was so happy to note how many people said they would be waiting for another arc chapter. I guess I have underestimated the number of 4xD fans out there. :) I just can't help myself with these two.

Proofed by: Lisa. Thank you!


	20. Chapter 17

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Chapter 17

Heero lay staring up in the black cabin. He hadn't exactly wanted to come back to the room for downtime. Part of him knew that he'd lost all credibility with the others, and that sooner or later, he was going to have to confront them with the truth… and trust them with it.

But by the time he and Duo had entered, Ry and Delano were already asleep in the bunks on the other side of the room, crashing hard. It had eased him some to at least be able to rest without the questions he knew were coming.

Although he'd never admit it, he was mildly thankful that Duo had decided to stay on ship instead of returning to the _Star Grazer_ after lockdown. Having someone who knew the truth was oddly comforting.

That was a startling revelation.

His training meant death for anyone who discovered his mission. Although he'd realized long ago that he had utterly failed where that was concerned. Duo and Relena were only the beginning of a long list of people that should be dead if that were true.

Relena….

He forced his mind back to black as he tried again to erase the thoughts and let himself rest.

Staring up, he knew that Duo's nerves were overextended too. Although Ry and Del were able to sleep comfortably, both snoring lightly from the other bunks, it wasn't as easy for the two ex-pilots. In their lives, snoring could have been lethal, and Duo had a thief's stealth… at least when he wasn't talking.

It had taken the other some time to fall asleep; dozing lightly apparently, since he woke each time one of the other two shifted. The fact that Heero had the bottom bunk was the only way he would have noticed the small shifts from above him.

But Heero lay perfectly still, allowing his body to rest even if his mind wouldn't. He tried to keep his breathing slow, attempting to concentrate only on the rhythmic sounds of the others to calm him, and hopefully lull him enough to close his eyes.

To no avail.

Before, they had entered quietly, kicking off their shoes and simply crashing, barely even waking his two officers. He still lay on top of the blanket, not bothering to crawl under it. It had been hours he was sure, but his mind still drifted.

Next door the girls were probably resting easily. Sally, Alli, Relena and Noin—if she had decided to leave Zechs' side for some sleep. Relena would be well looked after.

He stared up into the darkness and tried to blank his mind again.

He didn't know why he bothered with the exercise; he couldn't remember a single time that it had actually worked.

Ry rolled over, swallowing in his sleep and interrupting his snoring pattern. Duo woke up, snapping his head up and then apparently putting it back down with a weak sigh.

Heero tried again to focus on nothing, allowing no thoughts….

Relena.

He closed his eyes out of sheer irritation and gave up. Rolling his head to the side on the blanket covered pillow, he moved his hand off his stomach and placed it flat against the wall next to him. The wall plates were cool to the touch.

He'd been avoiding his thoughts on her since they got here. He didn't know why exactly, he just did that. This wasn't the first night that he found himself trying to avoid thoughts of her. Most of the time he did. Sometimes he caved in. Like now.

He'd never resolved anything in those times; he'd only managed to rehash the confusing mix of emotions and images that always seemed to accompany her. But more often than not in the time since Mariemaia's attempted coup, he'd given in to the thoughts, trying to sort through the path that he'd chosen.

He hadn't understood her reasoning for her offer to him to stay that morning. He had no more understanding of why he came back… other then that, well, she'd asked him to.

He realized that wasn't sensible. But when Quatre had asked him why he returned, it had been the only honest reason he could give. The other hadn't seemed overly surprised by the remark, and he hadn't questioned him. Heero had taken that as a good sign. After all, Quatre was a lot better at understanding others' emotions than he was.

He was still trying to find out his own.

The old line came unbidden into mind. "The only way to live a good life is to act on your emotions." He didn't remember when, or from whom, he'd learned that. But it remained. No matter his training, no matter the desensitizing situations he was placed in, they couldn't erase that.

He wouldn't let them.

Duo especially would find irony in the situation if he were ever to tell that to him, which he more than likely would never have to do. The man in the bunk above him was notorious for claiming he was perfectly stoic and wouldn't know an emotion if it hit him in the head.

His words, not Heero's.

But for Duo, emotion and being emotional were the same thing. Heero knew better. Getting emotional clouded your judgment, impaired your vision, held you back, and got you killed. And whether the braided idiot knew it or not, he did the same thing, all of them did. The cockpit wasn't the place to be emotional, but emotion was the best defense you had when you were being offensive. Clarity and focus of direction….

They'd all lost it at some point. They'd been tossed around from side to side so much that there was no more focus, no clear direction, no understanding of who the enemy was.

The war he had been trained to fight for as long as he could remember turned emotional. And he, like the rest of them, wasn't prepared for that.

His feelings had been easy to understand then. His desire was to end the oppression, no matter what it took. That was his mission. That was why he trained, why he improved, why he grew. The war was coming, and he had the chance to stop it from spreading… he thought. He had a clear direction, and clear purpose, and an enemy that deserved the destruction that he knew he would bring.

Relena, Duo, Quatre, Trowa, Wufei… they were an annoyance to the path his heart was set on. Not because it was simply his "mission" but because…. Because he cared.

Until they managed to break all hell loose.

In the war, and in him.

Relena….

He didn't know what kept her attached to him. Didn't know what made him care that she cared. But she accepted him.

He reopened his eyes, the black nearly as dark, and moved his hand on the wall enough to find another patch not warmed by his touch.

He'd felt it. And he honestly hadn't realized that he was searching for that acceptance until he was finally confronted with it. She knew him. Knew his past, knew what he was capable of, knew what he'd done… and still believed in him.

He knew she did. How, he wasn't sure. She was too innocent, even now after all she'd been through, to ever actually understand what he was. There were very few who did. But that didn't matter to her. She just didn't seem to care.

She knew him. Just like he knew her. Even though he would honestly never have an understanding of her heart or her past.

He'd discovered that when they had visited her home. She was different there. Happy, at peace, almost like a normal teenage girl. Almost.

It didn't matter how many scrapbooks they dug through, how many clippings he'd ended up overhearing, he'd never honestly know what she was like before. …Before him.

How she could trust him after that, he had no idea. Why she was so bent on helping him, he didn't know. Nothing about her made any sense.

How could she possibly accept a man who had done nothing to warrant it?

His hand absently turned and balled itself into a fist.

The images of their past flashed up again, just as they always did when he got to this point. But as they ticked by this time, new ones started to add themselves in.

The image of her dirt-smudged form standing by his bedside that morning as he turned her face to check what he thought was a dark bruise on her neck. And her smile when he realized that her offer to stay would stand, with or without an actual answer from him.

The little smile on her face as she sat in a pair of sleep pants and a T-shirt, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she tried to warm his hand in the gray light of early morning. Her confession that she felt better with him beside her. That she had needed his strength. Although he still had no idea why. She was always stronger than he was.

The way she felt when she'd hugged him aboard the Mars satellite. The feeling that she was searching for that strength in him, and the millions of emotions that ran through him. Not least of which was his own desire to give it to her. Anything she wanted or needed from him, he'd been willing to give if he'd just known how.

And….

His hand relaxed again and moved to rub at his dry eyes before he rolled his head back to stare straight up again.

And he'd kissed her.

He didn't even know he knew how to kiss her.

Duo started again from the bunk above, repeating the same sigh as before as Ry rolled over once more. Heero humorlessly mused that Duo would have found that thought extremely funny.

He let himself close his eyes again, and sink back into memory. She was warm. Her pulse raced harshly under the palm of his hand as he held her neck, mirroring his own. Her hand over his heart was hot, even though he knew her hands were normally cold. Her lips….

He pulled out of the thought, feeling slightly ashamed of thinking of it, but not knowing why. Instead he turned again to the wall, placing his hand back on it. Somewhere on the other side, she lay asleep….

Except that Relena wasn't asleep. She lay on her side on the opposite side of the wall, unknowingly facing him. She had welcomed the bed when they had gotten back to the room, conscious of how tired she was. But she still lay awake, buried in her covers and still feeling cold.

The day's events just wouldn't go away. The images of the injured men and women she had worked with had haunted her most of the night. By now she was almost afraid to sleep in case they worked their way into her dreams as well.

Relena tried to lie still, being quiet so that she didn't wake the others, but her thoughts plagued her and she kept finding herself restless. She had tried not to think about it, but the more she tried to turn her mind off, the more it came back. She hated trying not to think about things.

If it wasn't the rescued crew, then it was Milliardo, or Heero, or the explosion, or just the constant fear she had been in all day. It had eaten away at her and she hadn't even noticed, hadn't stopped to dwell on it and let it open up, until the lights were off and she felt terribly alone.

It wasn't until Miss Noin—Lucrezia, she corrected herself, again—had slipped in and taken the bunk above her in the dark, an hour or so ago, that she had begun to drift towards happier things. She had a sister now, although their relationship had been developed during the war, it was still fun to think of her as "part of the family."

She should have expected it. After all, you don't wait for a man for literally years and then choose to go with him to the farthest reaches of humanity because you "kind of like him." She let the smile slip onto her face in the dark as she thought about it. The two had been out here, together, with basically no one else that they knew for months. Why shouldn't it have followed that they would have worked out their feelings… finally.

Oh, she was one to talk.

Relena held back the pathetic sigh that she felt and resisted the urge to get up and flail around absently for a while until she worked off this giddy nervousness. As it was, she tried to silently roll over onto her back, tucking the covers securely around her to suppress the shiver she felt.

Heero. Did the man _ever_ do _anything_ that didn't confuse the crud out of her? And why couldn't he ever do it some time that didn't involve him walking into impending peril? And how could she get him to do it again?

Wait.

_Sleep!_ she commanded herself forcefully.

The odd string of thoughts slowly tapered off. But in the dark, the only comforting thoughts she had resided with him. Closing her eyes she tried to relive the moment, tried to vividly remember the look in his eyes when she'd broken down and confessed that she couldn't lose him.

She should never have done that. Even though she knew Heero would never scoff at her emotions, would never take them lightly… she was afraid of confessing too much too quickly with him.

She was afraid that she'd scare him off.

Maybe it was her own insecurities that made her think that way. She wasn't sure. She just knew that all of these emotions had come up too fast in her, let alone trying to explain that to him.

Somehow, she began thinking like that. Like she was going to try to protect him from her feelings. She knew how dumb that sounded. But it was really the way she felt.

It wasn't like she thought he was incapable of returning it… she'd been extremely surprised at how far he'd returned it actually. But she was… concerned.

Contrary to popular belief, she knew Heero's heart was kind, pure… and mildly unused. She didn't know his past, didn't understand what he had gone through, but she knew she saw a gentle soul in him. One that obviously hadn't been given the chance to know what love was capable of.

She worried that he would simply overload if she tried to pour out the extent of her own confused feelings to him. She knew that was stupid. She knew that he may guard his own emotions forcefully from the outside, but inside, he was probably more confused than she was. He would be able to accept her feelings for him, but….

She wanted to know that he was in the same place she was. And in order to do that, she needed to know where it was that she found herself.

Relena let the sigh escape her as she lay there in the dark. He'd kissed her…. And she had nearly lost her knees and collapsed right then and there. Maybe she should start rethinking the idea that he was confused too. After all, she hadn't thought of making that move.

Not that she was complaining one tiny bit.

He hadn't seemed scared over her confession, a little confused, maybe a little shocked, but not scared. He had even given her a promise to return, something that she would have never expected to actually come out of him, not with the way he was typically drawn into these conflicts. He'd responded to her, acknowledged her feelings, and had… kissed her.

_A man of few words_, she mused.

But she had felt his uncertainty. The tiny touch of his fingertips at the nape of her neck. The last look that she realized now was one tinted with a request for permission. He had been worried….

Worried that she wouldn't respond to him?

There was a switch.

She moved the covers; lifting her hands she covering her mouth with her sheet covered fists, remembering the light pressure of his lips on hers. A softly audible whimper escaped her as she felt her heart ache at the memory.

She snapped her eyes open and stayed absolutely still, hoping that no one was awake enough to have heard that. When no one stirred, she relaxed again, tucking the covers back under her chin and moving her loose fists to cross over her heart, which was again racing.

…Like his had been. She'd felt it under the hand she'd absently placed on his chest. She had wanted to reach out and cling to him, hang on for dear life so that he couldn't move, couldn't leave. But she wouldn't dare have tried, even if she hadn't been a bit preoccupied by that time.

Preoccupied with remembering enough to try to return the kiss.

She'd seen his intentions in his eyes, if her brain had been clicked on enough to notice. As it were, the emotion swirled in those midnight blues had claimed her, body and soul. It had taken her a moment to even think of closing her eyes and returning his feathery touch.

Timid, uncertain, frightened… shy. Absolutely everything that he never was.

She frowned in the dark, her forehead creasing lightly. She could probably understand that to some extent. After all, she was more certain then ever that he'd never experienced that before. Of course, neither had she, but she'd at least been around it, quite often really.

But Heero…. Uncertain, timid. Did he wonder if she'd return it? Had he believed she would pull away? Maybe he really didn't know the extent of emotion he held over her if he believed that.

But he'd relaxed when she returned his touch; his hand had gently laid against her neck. Perhaps she'd unknowingly eased the anxiety.

Anxiety could probably explain quite a bit of it. After all, if she was right, and these types of displays of affection were "foreign" to him, it would make sense that he would be unsure of himself. She had at least come from a loving background, had a set of parents who kissed each other in front of her, and of course, both were openly affectionate to her. She'd even had a few friends who would divulge the details of their first kisses during various times when she was still in school.

First kiss…. Relena blinked. She'd just had her first kiss.

That just seemed… weird. It wasn't like she was magically different from the other girls a couple years ago. She was still sixteen. Just a teenager with a crush….

Crush? Heero Yuy… mass destructive, mass murdering, potential kamikaze, inhumanly skilled Gundam pilot, and world savior by the age of fifteen. And Relena Darlian/Peacecraft… average schoolgirl turned pacifism Princess, turned Queen of the World, turned official politician by the same age.

Yeah, there was an ordinary coupling that you saw every day.

Well, there was nothing ordinary about their entire relationship, why start now?

But crush? No. She didn't believe that she could call this a crush.

She loved him. At least in the most "platonic" meaning. She had been drawn to him from the beginning, had been forcefully attracted to him since the first time she saw his eyes. Even though he had been more than a little frightening, she had been taken in by that smoldering strength of character in those dark eyes.

Strong, purposeful, adamant, focused, secure… genuine. Beautiful. A collection that had haunted her mind's eye for weeks. Actually, they still did.

But she didn't know when that attraction, that desire to understand, had turned to love. Somewhere in the war, at some point she didn't remember, she'd started confiding to herself that she loved him. Loved him enough to care where he was and what he was doing… and loved him enough to try to find every, and any, way to keep him from harm.

It, of course, hadn't worked. With a silent sigh, she realized it still didn't.

Her affections had changed now. That was something that she had been struggling with since they'd left Earth, since she'd realized just exactly how much she was reliant on him aboard the satellite. She hadn't honestly noticed how far her emotions had grown for him in a single month until she was confronted with a whole collection of others at the same time.

Maybe… maybe she was moving past "platonic?" Perhaps this was turning… "romantic?"

For some reason, that worried her. Too soon? Too fast? She didn't know why exactly. Maybe it just seemed like an "un-Heero" thing to hope for. Well, he had been the one that kissed her. Perhaps it wasn't too unreasonable.

She turned onto her side again, facing the wall and bunching her pillow up until she could hold it with both arms. Balling herself up, she hoped again for sleep to relieve these types of thoughts. They were just a little too much for tonight.

Silently, she hoped that he was resting peacefully.

* * *

"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved." – Confucius

"Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone." - Anthony Burgess

AN: This was either going to be a short Heero/Relena chapter, or a long one with other stuff, but decided this was best on it's own. Consider this the episode 26 review. :)

Proofed by: Lisa. Thank you!


	21. Chapter 18

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Chapter 18

Taking a shower in 1/6 gravity was a lot like being steamed cleaned until you were almost wet. Quatre stood, leaning against the wall, wished for nothing more than the massaging force of a real showerhead. Instead, he stood in the fine mist with the heat as high as he could possibly stand, hoping that it would ease the tense pain out of his muscles.

Downtime had been a nightmare, literally. Sheer fatigue kept dropping him back to sleep after each time he woke up, not sure where he was or what was going on. His dreams had run the gamut from nice to horrible to just plain weird, and… other. Nothing made any sense, and after hours of being tormented by his own mind he'd finally forced himself off the sweat-dreaded bed just so that he could re-determine what reality he was actually living in.

His body was healing, but he was stiff and sore and apparently still prone to the trembling fits. He was beginning to wonder if it had been a good idea to ignore medical advice. He didn't especially want to scare the others with an announcement that he was going to a doctor, but he also knew that there were only three people in the fleet that actually knew what was ailing him if he simply collapsed. And the other two probably wouldn't be all that helpful with the investigation.

Like it or not, he was going to have to go see Sally. Which meant that she would berate him to no end that he didn't come sooner. And she'd more than likely add a "medical endangerment" charge to the Delmares' list, which he didn't especially want to be the cause of.

Slowly the heat helped, it at least took the edge off, the steam helping his breathing as well. Maybe he was just overreacting from the bad night… or day, or period, or whatever time it actually was back home.

Getting out, he dressed quickly, feeling better than he had the night before at least. Food was the next priority. Even though his stomach twisted mildly at the thought of eating something, he realized that it had probably been thirty-six hours since it'd had something in it. And it would probably help work the rest of this out of his system.

Taking a deep breath he exited the room and found his way down to the mess hall. The crews were still confined to quarters for another couple hours, so the halls were deserted. The only people allowed to roam free during this time would be himself, the Maguanacs and Dorothy.

Dorothy…. It was too late to push down the feeling of terror that struck him at the thought of her before the doors to the hall whispered open in front of him.

She sat on the top of a table, her legs neatly crossed, wearing a pair of snug black leggings, a plain cream-colored shirt that hung long on her with a widely scooped neckline. She leaned back on her arms, her hair trailing down her back and off the edge of the table.

Surrounding her were no less than six of his ten Maguanac friends, assorting themselves between the chairs, the tabletop or standing arrangements. …And the Lady Catalonia was giggling mercilessly at them.

Quatre forced himself to take a couple stiff steps inside to allow the doors to close again. Pushing down the feeling of panic, he forcefully told himself that it would be all right.

He didn't exactly remember what happened last night. At least, he didn't think he did. And part of him hoped he didn't.

Between what really happened, and the assortment of dreams that Dorothy saw fit to waltz her way into, he honestly wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't. Some things he knew could not have happened, others he was sure did, and the rest… well, the rest worried him.

A small cheer went up through the room as the men turned to notice him. Dorothy twisted around to regard him through the others, and her devilish smirk turned a bit friendlier when she saw him enter.

And he had the first silent sigh of relief he'd had in days. Relaxing, he managed his way over to the group, the guys asking about how he was. They gave him a couple reports on the guard detail and filled him in that Dorothy had assisted them with making muffins for breakfast.

He smiled at the comments and the empty _prepackaged_ muffin wrappers and shook his head. "I know her cooking skills, so I think I'll take my chances."

The group laughed whole-heartedly at Dorothy's expense, which he was convinced didn't happen often, as she gave him a sarcastically evil glare. "For all the thanks I get, I should hope you choke on them."

A collection of "oohs" went around the table and he couldn't help but laugh. "That's not a very nice thing to say," he mumbled.

She sniffed haughtily. "You'd best be nice to me or you boys can trudge home by yourselves."

The others dived into pleading and arguments for why she needed to stay, and Quatre managed to roll his eyes and stay out of her fun.

Same ol' Dorothy. Apparently she wasn't upset at all if he'd done or said anything improper last night…. Granted if he had, she probably would have found it more amusing than disturbing. But still, one image in particular wouldn't quit nagging at him as he slowly worked it over in his head.

He left the group to noisily talk amongst themselves again, to retrieve one of the "special" muffins from the counter. The comments that he overheard were priceless. A grouping of men conning and cajoling over the coy affections of a young lady as though they hadn't seen one in years.

He had a hard time remembering that he was the youngest among them.

It wasn't until Rasid entered the room and promptly dismissed the entire group back to their stations, with a bit more gruff than necessary, that Quatre managed to get the smile off his face. The elder man began an apology for their intrusion as they all sneaked out the door, but Dorothy's sudden pout rendered him completely speechless.

Quatre nearly had to spit out his bite of muffin. Rasid blinked her at deflated doe-eyes and then sighed with a shake of his head. He finally just turned around and walked out of the room, dumbfounded by the emotion-toying minx.

And Quatre just laughed. Never in his life had he witnessed Captain Rasid Kurama lose total composure in the face of any enemy, or battle… or teenaged girl.

Dorothy solemnly looked after him at the closed door a moment, giving Quatre the benefit of seeing her crestfallen expression at the total loss of her fan club, before turning towards his side of the room. "Well, you seem to be in better spirits, Master Winner," she stated, her little pet name for him coming out formal.

He dabbed a hand to one of his eyes and walked back to her table. "I am now," he admitted.

He tossed the half-eaten muffin on the table and sat down, placing his elbows on its top in front of her, his red shirt clashing terribly with the orange top. "How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice going back to softer tones.

Inwardly he sighed, "A little worse for wear." He didn't look up at her, and instead dropped his head forward, using his elbows to support him as he reached his hands around to knead at the back of his neck.

She scooted herself towards him, uncrossing her legs to sit up straight. "Quatre?" He forced himself to look up at her from his slouched position. He watched her eyes change from mild curiosity to full worry as she searched his eyes. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

He blinked, not wanting to scare her. "I'll be fine," he assured her automatically.

Not only did it not work, but it was obviously the wrong thing to say. Her worry hardened instantly in her eyes, "You tried that line on me last night, and apparently I shouldn't have trusted you then."

"Dorothy…." Her look cut him off before he knew what he was going to say.

"Don't give me that." He silently figured out that from now on he would never complain of Rasid's disapproving concern again, compared to her. But just as quickly, she closed her eyes and bit back a sigh, refocusing on him. "Quatre, please. Tell me what happened."

He swallowed and then looked down, figuring it wouldn't do anyone any harm if he just said it.

"They drugged me. I don't know for sure with what, but my best guess is Truth Serum."

He paused and waited for a reaction, but when one didn't come he raised his head to timidly meet her eyes. The flash of anger was gone, replaced by a scared worry that he would never have thought he'd see in her. At least over him.

Blinking, she shook her head, confusion setting in. "I don't know what that means."

Quatre felt his heart ache at having scared her and, without thinking, he reached out and covered one of her hands with his. Swallowing, he tried again. "Truth Serum is a suggestive hallucinogen. It's part of a group of interrogation drugs the Alliance developed several years back."

Her free hand reached out to brush his unruly bangs back. "And it's dangerous," she seemed to know it wouldn't be a question.

"Its side effects can be… damaging."

Those were the last words he thought she actually listened to. He should have known better than to think that concern would last. Maybe it actually did, she just… had a very rough way of showing it.

Quatre now sat in the tiny exam room on the supply ship, watching Dorothy watch him as she stood between him and the door as though she thought he'd try to run away. She had forced him into the _Star Grazer's_ locker rooms without a word of warning to anyone else that they were leaving, and stated that if he didn't put on a spacesuit she'd put him in one herself.

He had officially given up arguing at that point.

Once they reached the med deck, the staff on duty had immediately dispatched someone to track down Sally, which he felt rather sorry for considering they had just come off downtime. But part of him was rather thankful that it was her.

Glancing back up he noted that Dorothy was staring absently into space. She hadn't said a word that didn't involve a threat since they left the mess hall. The realization that he had… well, that he had scared her, was making him rather uncomfortable. But he wasn't exactly in a great position to comfort her about his health at the moment.

Instead, the two stayed awkwardly silent… an occurrence that had never happened before as far as he could remember. The silent part anyway. And so, of course, his memories decided to choose this time to plague him with images from the night before.

Which kept including a scene that he was almost starting to believe.

Glancing at her again, he found her still staring passively. Deciding enough was enough, he forced down the fears, bent on at least getting her to say something.

Sally strode through the door behind her before he could open his mouth though. Taking a quick look at Dorothy, she then turned to him. "Quatre, what'd you do to yourself this time?"

He forced a smile. "Hello Sally, I'm sorry to trouble you."

"Oh yeah? Well, if this is a social call I'm going back to bed."

"I'm sorry," he winced with the apologized.

Both blonds ended up giving him an annoyed look. Stifling a yawn Sally turned back to Dorothy who hadn't moved. "And you are…?"

"Dorothy Catalonia," she extended her hand.

Sally shook it and then blinked. "Delmare's cousin, right? I didn't know you were actually here."

"I was a late arrival," she brushed it off.

"Yeah, well, the more the merrier," the other muttered, walking over to him. "So, you don't look so bad," she commented. "What's the odd emergency?"

Quatre blinked up at her. "No emergency really," he tried.

Dorothy cleared her throat from behind them in a warning.

He sighed, still looking up at Sally. "Before you got here, they detained me and tried to get me to give away that there were other people who knew we suspected them. They drugged me, and I can't shake it," he abbreviated.

Sally started. "They what?"

He didn't get the chance to try to rephrase that before she moved into action.

"Roll up your sleeve." Turning around she began searching for whatever she needed and he grudgingly complied. "Do you know what they used?"

He stalled. "It was definitely a hallucinogen."

Sally paused, and slowly turned back to him. He met her eyes as she fully absorbed that.

He was ready for the berating that he should have been in here immediately afterwards. He was even ready for her to slap the new charges against the Delmares. He was not, however, ready for her to grab a medical gown off the shelf and throw it at him.

"Strip. Now."

She didn't even pause to look back as she nearly ran out the door, calling around the deck for a full tissue scan, and blood work.

Dorothy stared after her a moment before turning back and meeting his eyes again. He remembered to shut his mouth as he blinked and looked back down at the gown. "Well… I'll just be out there then," she mumbled, stiffly turning and walking out the door, closing it behind her for privacy.

After forty-five minutes of being scanned, pinched, prodded and watching three vials of blood come out of his arm, Quatre felt worse than when he started. Sally had finally told him to get dressed as she went to supervise the scan results.

Pulling on his shirt, he left it un-tucked, missed the top two buttons and rolled up the other sleeve too, just in case they needed another vein. All things that he had been trained since the tender age of two never to do in public. But after having the entire shift of medical workers now more acquainted with him then he would have personally liked, he didn't feel he cared.

There was a soft tap on the door as he sat back down on the exam table, again feeling tired and drained. "Come in," he managed, figuring they couldn't do any more to him.

Dorothy slipped in, closing the door behind her, and Quatre hated himself for keeping her here. "Dorothy, I'm sorry. I didn't think they'd need all of these—"

"Shush," she admonished him. Pacing up in front of him, she frowned at him slightly. "Are you all right?"

He gave her a weary glance and let himself turn away. "I don't have a high enough degree to answer that right now," he muttered, half bitter, half just tired of the question. They fell back into that awkward silence and he regretted speaking to her like that. He fought for a way to apologize that wouldn't just get her annoyed at him, but couldn't come up with one.

"Why didn't you tell?"

He snapped back up to look at her. It wasn't an accusation. She wasn't bitter or angry. She just seemed… sad. Oh no, he wouldn't see that look in her. Not again.

Rising from the table, he made her take step back to make room for him. "I'm sorry, I am. I just…. I didn't want to worry you."

She started, giving him a confused expression. "Worry me? Quatre," she made a motion over his appearance "_this _worries me."

He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry—"

"Would you stop saying that!" The outburst caught him off guard as he met her eyes.

And he stopped, seeing, for just a brief second before she turned away, something he shouldn't have. Something she would never know that she let slip. …He saw fear in her.

But he did nothing. Couldn't do a thing but stand there and look after her as she made her way to the side of the little room, pointedly finding something else to focus her attention on. And for the life of him, he could find absolutely nothing that he could say to her.

The door burst open without warning and Sally strode in, a data pad in hand. "How all of you have the devil's luck, I will never know. But I do not intend to be around when you lose it." Looking at him pointedly she motioned him to sit back down.

He complied, casting a glance at Dorothy, who had turned to follow the verdict, her expression calm again.

"You have a little damage to your lung tissue, but nothing that won't heal on its own. No marathons for a while," she teased. She didn't notice that he didn't find it amusing. "All in all, you'll be fine. You should be thankful that you're as old as you are. If you went through this with a fifteen year old system you'd be breathing through a tube."

He swallowed down the information solemnly.

"As it is, you're lucky to be alive," she turned soft, and he met her almond shaped eyes. "They gave you a de-tox when you became unstable. Any slower and it wouldn't have been enough." She pointed to the bump on his head, "And they obviously figured knocking you out would be the best way to get your heart rate down."

"I guess that explains why I couldn't breathe," he offered.

"What do you remember?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I can't make it all out. I remember being in the storage room with the Delmares, Ferra injected me, and then I guess I must have gone under because all I have are vague images."

"Well, you weren't under long. If Truth Serum reacts this badly, it does it quick."

"I was right then," he muttered.

"Yeah, how they got it is what I want to know. And if I have to pin him down with a vial myself, I'll figure it out. This stuff can't be trusted, especially on a developing system. I'm amazed that it did as little damage as it did."

He nodded.

"Regardless… you're going to have to dry out." He looked up, not liking the sound of that. She folded her hands around the data pad. "Twenty four hour bed rest."

"What?"

"No excuses," she stated with finality.

He stopped himself but then swallowed. "Sally, I can't sleep," he confided.

She nodded understandingly. "I know. I'll give you a few mild sedatives, get you past REM and you'll be fine." She held up a few packets and then re-thought her actions and silently offered them across to Dorothy instead, who took them with a silent nod.

Dorothy's look was the only thing that kept him from arguing again.

"Meanwhile, I have a debriefing, which is not going to be pretty, and I'm adding endangerment charges on them."

"No." He looked up, finally confident with the word for once. "I won't press charges."

"Quatre, they tried to kill you."

"They wouldn't have given me a de-toxigen if they wanted me dead."

"Quatre—"

"No, Sally," he matched her tone until she finally blinked and then grudgingly nodded.

Sighing she made her way out of the room again. "And I thought Wufei was the most stubborn self-riotous…" she trailed off out in the hall.

He dropped his head again as he rubbed at his eyes. Dorothy's silent presence was a solid object in the room. He didn't bother to open his eyes again as he dropped his hand away. "You may as well say it," he stated softly, knowing she would berate him for not taking a stronger course of action with the charges.

"Say what?" came the mild reply. He looked up to find her pacing over in front of him, her hands behind her back. "That you shouldn't be so forgiving of a woman who tried to kill you in some pointless battle?"

Quatre found her eyes, set in their usual passive calm once more. "Not quite the same thing," he mumbled, finding the similarities between Dorothy and Ferra far fewer than the differences.

She let the smirk slip into place, adding a touch of humor to her eyes. "Really," she turned away, the expression growing, "I'm beginning to think you just have a thing for blonds."

With all his heart, he just wanted to hug her at that moment. He let the smile come and even let a small chuckle escape at the comment. She smiled as she turned away from him, rounding to pace back the other way, her hair billowing after her….

Sweeping towards his left side.

Quatre cringed, preparing for the blinding pain that he knew would come with the touch of it against him, fear preventing him from moving. But the silken strands wafted gently past him, causing no more harm then they ever could.

He puffed out the breath that he'd caught, the remembered image shaking him to the core. Dorothy whirled at the sound and returned to stand in front of him. "Quatre?"

"_Answer me, Quatre!"_

He snapped his head up, the room glowing red with the flashes of explosions. She stood above his slouched form, anger burning in her eyes.

"_Tell me, Quatre!"_

"No!" It came out as no more than a choked whisper.

"Quatre!" Two hands clamped onto his shoulders. He blinked, the touch snapping the image from his head, the _reality_ of her touch forced him to find her real eyes. Wide and frightened.

"Dorothy..." He reached out, grabbing a hold of her and wrapping his arms around her, thankful that she was solid. He tried to calm his breathing again as he dropped his head against her shoulder.

Her hands on his shoulders moved shakily to embrace him as well. "Quatre?"

"It was you," he managed to get out. "That's why none of this makes sense."

He felt her move a hand to gently caress the nape of his neck. "What's me?"

He just rested against her for a moment, half standing, half sitting against the table, trying to capture some of the images, some of the voices. A large room, and Dorothy. He didn't remember anyone else. But he remembered questions, and feeling that it wasn't right. His side bursting into agony when her hair had brushed him. More than likely the result of his lung functions diminishing his oxygen, or a severe warning….

And then, her eyes had changed and he knew it was Ferra. And everything had gone dark and silent, and….

"_Quatre… don't die."_

If his side hadn't been burning, he may have tried to answer a question, he may have tried to hide that he couldn't breathe. …Was is possible? Could he have actually… felt her?

Slowly he loosened his oppressively tight grip on her and moved to look up at her. Her frightened eyes brought him fully back to reality again, only imagining what he'd just put her through.

"I can remember it," he offered weakly.

She didn't understand.

He shakily rose completely to his feet and pulled her into real hug. He started again, "It's a suggestive drug. That means someone has to lead you through it. Ask questions, whatever. But you develop a space that you're not afraid to answer them in. You… find a person you trust," he admitted.

"And you thought it was me?"

He thought that through again and nodded. "It could have been that I matched the voice with a female, or I could have just been worried about you, or anything. I just…." He fought through the images, the pain, the look of anger in her eyes. "I knew it wasn't you."

He closed his eyes again, willing the images out of him, maybe for the last time. Instead he concentrated on the feeling of her in his arms. She was real…. And he was really squashing her.

Consciously letting go of her enough to make sure that she could still breathe, he calmed himself down again. "Dorothy, I'm—"

"Don't say it," she interrupted. Pulling back she gave him a weary expression and shook her head. "You never get normal injuries do you?"

He smiled at the attempt. "How are you going to write that great epic otherwise?"

She tried a grateful smile at the comment and gave him a quick hug. "I know you're sick of this, but please tell me you'll be all right."

He melted against her, hearing the concern she was feeling. "I will be. I guess I just had to get this worked through," he answered honestly.

She nodded before releasing him completely, and he grudgingly let her go. Picking up the packets of sedatives that she'd obviously dropped at some point, she raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, let's get you back and tucked in again, shall we?"

And he paled, the warmth of emotions he had just felt suddenly shriveled and died. "I was sort of hoping that some of that didn't actually happen," he muttered.

He noticed too late that her predatory smirk was out in full force and her eyes had dropped to half slits. He swallowed nervously as she stepped back to him, meeting his eyes forcefully. One of her hands slipped lightly up his chest, meeting skin over his unbuttoned collar, and then wrapped itself around his neck. "I would have to be disappointed if you've forgotten me," she cooed.

His pale shock gave way to what had to be a burning red blush to match his shirt as he stood perfectly still, praying for all he was worth that he hadn't done what he thought he had….

And Dorothy's look finally cracked as she started laughing whole-heartedly at him. Somehow that didn't settle him as much as it should have. But she shook her head and turned away, taking his hand and pulling him after her out of the room.

Right now, he was ready to go back to bed, because most of him wished he'd never woke up.

* * *

After approximately six hours, Heero had officially given up and decided that his report sheets sounded more interesting than lying in bed any longer. He'd gotten up, showered and was out the door in less than ten minutes, waking no one but Duo, who had rolled over and smashed his pillow over the top of his head.

Heero had chosen a table in the empty mess hall near the windows again, opening his laptop in front of him. …And had been staring at a blank report sheet for most of an hour. So far he'd managed to type in his name and badge number, and he'd given sporadic thought to what he should actually include, and what to decline to mention.

He'd come to the realization that paperwork was not physical enough for him to be able to keep his mind focused. At least when he didn't care.

He looked up to see Duo enter, yawning with both arms stretched over his head. Apparently he'd given up early too.

Snagging a cup of the last shift's coffee, he wandered over and sat down across from him. "Hello, my name is Duo Maxwell. I'm seventeen and I'm a caffeine addict," he muttered, promptly dropping his head down on the table without even tasting the coffee.

Heero eyed him vaguely before scooting his laptop over a few inches, managing to block his slumped form completely from his line of vision.

Absently he still stared at the screen, and wondered exactly how much of that statement was true. Or, if Duo himself, even knew if any of it was true. Besides the caffeine part. But Heero was reasonably sure that the other ex-pilot wasn't positive of his real name, or his real age either.

Reasonably sure. There tended to be an unwritten rule that the group didn't exactly ask about past history. Once in a while things came out, more due to the fact that they were around each other, rather than due to any real intent. Heero had ended up spending a couple weeks with Duo before the Mariemaia conflict, gathering Intel on the situation.

…It really hadn't been all that convenient.

Giving up on the report, he turned his attention to the windows beside them. The dark of space was all that was present on this side of the ship, the internal lights too bright to make out most of the stars.

Casually a couple fingers appeared over the edge of the laptop screen, pushing it down until a pair of dark indigo eyes and one raised eyebrow appeared over the top. Heero eyed him back with boredom until Duo blinked at him. "You OK?"

"Hn." He turned back to the computer, raising the screen to again block him out.

There was a soft thud from the other side of it, followed by a muffled grumble. "Right. What was I thinking?"

Heero inwardly sighed and started into the report, his typing the only sound in the room for quite a while before he hit _Reason for accepting case parameters_. There were no case parameters; he didn't even have a case number to include with the report. And as far as why he "accepted" the assignment….

He never had the choice. He knew she would go, even before she said anything. Attempting to talk her out of it…. He wouldn't do that, even if he could have. He'd simply followed her, partial blind, for no other reason than that she wanted to go.

She needed to go. Her heart was set on it, probably before they ever got to the satellite. She had a responsibility that she wouldn't back down from. And she had loved ones potentially in trouble.

And he…. He trusted her judgment. He'd gone half-blind, with no discernable course of action, out of sheer trust.

That was not a settling feeling. Trust was still an issue with him. He'd slowly figured out teamwork, mostly due to the fact that the others were better at it than he was. He'd come to rely on them, trust their abilities and even their intentions. But, that wasn't the same.

He was trusting her with things that were even out of her control. He'd simply believed in her.

Try as he might, he knew better than to think he could get her to stay out of the way completely. His task would always include fending off the worst-case scenario _before_ it got to her, not _if _it got to her.

He had no choice but to follow her. Just like he'd warned the others about.

Motion, out of the corner of his eye, turned his attention to the door as Relena and Alli entered. Relena was apparently down to borrowing most of her wardrobe as she entered in a pair of charcoal agent slacks, which hung long on her, and an officer's issue T-shirt with the badge logo on her left side.

Closing down the laptop, Heero was a bit surprised that he'd forgotten Duo was still lying across the table from him, his head on his arms. Alli moved to the food section and Relena turned their way, giving Duo's unresponsive form a worried look.

She made it within a few feet before Duo shifted, settling his head to the side and blinking open his eyes to see who it was, before they closed again. "Morning, Beautiful," he greeted.

Relena blinked. "Good morning. You don't seem like you slept well." She slid into the side chair between the two.

"Nope, slept like crud. How 'bout you?"

She gave him an unseen sympathetic smile and then placed her elbows on the table to hold her chin up. "I think I passed out a couple hours ago." She turned to Heero, a tired expression in place. "They called Sally back to the med deck this morning for something, so she'll be late."

He nodded, searching her eyes for what had kept her up last night, a bit of worry creeping in. She must have noticed it because she gave him a reassuring smile, her eyes softening out to that same expression again.

"Why do I have to be at this?" came a mutter from the tabletop.

They both looked down at him. "Sally will need a statement," he answered.

"Paperwork sucks," came the reply.

Relena laughed at his response. Softly she moved his braid to drape down his back instead of over his shoulder in his face. She gave him a quick pat, shaking her head at his display, and got a sleepy groan for an acknowledgement.

Silently Heero looked back and forth between the two, the image of the walk back to their quarters last night coming up as well. He had honestly thought that he could count the number of times the two had been in the same room together. This just seemed… discomforting.

Ry and Delano made their way in, both looking better then he felt. Taking a glance around they joined Alli in finding something for breakfast.

He was going to have to confront the three of them eventually, but Heero hadn't dedicated himself to that fate quite yet. Deciding that delaying sounded better than having a confrontation in a soon to be public setting, he got to his feet and collected the laptop. "I'll wait in the observation room," he mumbled to Relena's inquiring expression.

"Mind some company?" she asked quietly, not moving yet from her seat.

He shook his head and she gave him a slightly grateful smile that he wasn't sure he understood, before she rose from her seat as well. Giving Duo's silent form one more curious look, she followed after him. When they were out of earshot she looked up at him oddly. "Is he going to be all right?"

Heero blinked at her. "He's been through worse."

They were out in the nearly empty hallway before he noticed her shake her head. "Just for the record, that statement never makes me feel better with you guys."

He eyed her for a moment as they walked along, silently figuring that was true.

He opened the door to the room and she slipped in ahead of him. Heero stood in the doorway a moment, watching her move into the dimmer lit lounge, her hair wafting gently after her from the ponytail she had it in. Softly he cursed himself for forgetting that instead of confronting his officers, he was now confronting Relena… alone.

He stepped in after her, setting the computer down on one of the chairs. Relena paced up to the windows, the view of Mars hung in space, its edge lit by the sun. Hugging her arms around her, she stared out at the view.

"Are we only building a new battlefield?" she asked, cautiously placing a hand against the window in front of her.

Heero silently figured that question had been weighing on her for a while. Possibly what had kept her from resting last night. Glancing out at the view, he knew it would continue to worry her. "Yes," he answered honestly.

She lowered her head, her shoulders drooping slightly. "I honestly thought that we wouldn't be sending Earth's sins out here. That this place could be devoid of it…" she shook her head sadly. "We shouldn't have come."

Heero heard the note in her voice and stepped up quietly behind her, coming close enough to stand guard over her emotions as well. "We can't limit humanity because of fear."

The words picked her eyes back up to look out again at the red planet. "What will we do if this leads to war again?"

Silently he watched the side of her face as she stared out. No war was ever different from any others. The people and the reasons may change, but the causes never did. If it came to war again…. "We'll be here."

The comment dropped her hand from the window and she turned to look back at him. He met her eyes as she searched his. He didn't know what she was looking for, but he hoped that she found it.

If battles erupted, if war started, even if it only became a political arena, she would be in the middle of it. Relena Peacecraft…. She could change her name all she wanted, but it wouldn't make a bit of difference to how she moved through this life. She would forever be pulled in the same directions, always called to the same situations, no matter what she did, or what she became.

And so was he. He could have attempted to run away, could have placed himself into hiding, tried to play out a normal life… but it wouldn't have worked. More than likely, he would still have ended up standing on one of these ships here today anyway. His instincts drove him to recognize these situations. He would never rest easy.

In the dim lighting that reflected in her eyes… he began to understand their similarities instead of their differences.

"Heero," she broke into his thoughts. "May I ask you a question?"

He blinked and then nodded slightly. _Yes_, he mentally practiced.

She let a slow smile creep into her expression, "How did you know by favorite color was blue?"

…What? He must have looked as dumbfounded as he felt because she finally let the chuckle break through, and then turned fully and stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He let her laughter work its way into his turbulent thoughts, and then wrapped his arms around her as well. He felt her shoulders shake as her giggles turned quiet, and she relaxed easily into his arms.

He allowed his eyes to close as he held her loosely. He should have known better than to worry. Obviously, in the face of their entire unwritten history… she wanted to be with him.

For some reason, that thought plagued him even more. Instead of feeling warmed by it, it turned his heart cold. Reopening his eyes he looked out at the planet and the dark space that it hung in. He wasn't sure he believed in destiny, but whatever he called it, he was sure that as long as he was alive… these would be his missions.

Turning inward, he felt her against him. Relena. As long as he was by her side she would have to be drawn into these conflicts. But if he wasn't there….

He felt her cheek move against his shoulder. Her face close enough to his neck that he felt her eyelashes blink open. "Heero?" She must have felt the difference in him. "What is it?"

He closed his eyes again, "This will never end."

The words seemed to hang untouched for a long moment as neither one of them moved. Finally she stirred just a little to wrap her arms around him tighter. "No," she swallowed. "Violence, greed… politics. They'll always be here."

He listened to her closely. Her breathing was calm; her heartbeat was too soft to notice.

"But we're the ones that get to choose this time," she whispered quietly. "Maybe in our lifetime we can keep it from happening."

There was something so strong, but so calming in her words that he believed her, completely.

Her grip tightened involuntarily again as he felt her shift. "Heero. Will you stay with me?"

Worry. He didn't necessarily hear it in her whispered voice, but he felt it in her. His breath caught in his throat.

If he was truly destined to always be called into these fights, then so was she. He realized that no matter what he did, she would always be called the same direction. Even if he left her, they would collide again and again, over each new outbreak, any major threat.

He moved a hand up her back and rested it at the nape of her neck, attempting to push her back. She responded and released her arms enough to look up at him. Her eyes were worried, and he felt a pang of regret for putting it there.

They were far too similar. For all of their dealings, they knew each other too well. Looking at her, he knew she wouldn't let him go. Each time they were placed together, she would try to hold on. And he….

His expression softened, and he knew she saw it. Where could he possibly go? He finally, honestly, belonged somewhere.

He belonged with her. Why should they walk through this alone if they were always going to be forced back together? He'd already tried that. All he would manage to do is miss the peaceful times. Miss her laughter, her smile, her touch, when everything seemed to be all right and she didn't need to worry. Something he never would have known that he could miss before.

He focused on her eyes again, recognizing their look. He must have already given her an answer because the worry had been eased out of her. A serene smile pulled at her lips, and he lost focus on anything else.

Almost unconsciously he sunk his face towards hers, but paused again, letting a nagging doubt creep in as he recognized his actions.

But this time, Relena didn't wait for him.

Instead, she moved her lips to meet his and her arms tightened around him once more. His own embrace turned solid as his hand on her neck lightly kept her from breaking away. Their kiss was gentle, warm and slow. He could feel her breath on his cheek as she slowly exhaled and he learned how to breathe through a kiss.

One of her hands on his back moved lightly against him and it sent a tiny shiver up his spine. Finally letting her lips go, he backed away just enough to look at her. Her eyes fluttered half open, their beautiful blue reflecting the dim lights around them. Her expression…. That look would burn itself into his memory for as long as he lived.

He had already crossed the point of no return with her. His heart was already set here, and his emotions would never forgive him if he tried to leave her now.

He let the smile form on his lips and he leaned in to place his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and finally knowing it was all right to want to be close to her. He felt her lift her head enough that she bumped her nose into his and he pulled back to see the full smile on her face.

His heart puddled at seeing it, as she moved her cheek against his and pulled herself into a close hug. He let the feeling linger as he leaned into her, bowing his head until his chin and lips sat against her shoulder.

He was more than prepared to live with his decision.

There was a reverberation on the metal decking from the hallway and he picked his head up off her shoulder to listen. More than one person. Likely their group then. He brought his face next to hers again, and let himself revel in her touch just a second longer, drawing on her calm.

He pulled away from her, slowly releasing his arms from around her and she let him go. Taking a step back she folded her hands together in front of her. She looked up at him with a smile in her eyes.

"I owe the others an explanation for some of this," he stated quietly, now hearing the voices that alerted him to their approach.

Her expression dropped and she searched his face. "Are you sure?"

That same concern over him. He wasn't sure he would ever get use to that. But he nodded anyway.

She relaxed and lowered her eyes to the side. "I think you can trust them."

He'd find out. Heero turned to watch the door over his shoulder as the voices grew louder and turned the corner towards them. The door slit open and Duo's braid backed its way into the room as he carried on laughing at something.

Swirling around he caught sight of the two of them and blinked. "Oops. Maybe we should come back at a better time, huh?" He eyed him up and down, and when he didn't get a reaction he sighed and waved a hand at him. "Never mind, what was I thinking?"

He instead sauntered behind him to Relena and slung an arm over her shoulders as they leaned against the windows.

"You look better," she said warmly.

"Oh, just the sight of you, Princess."

Heero gave the two another look as Relena rolled her eyes and sighed. He specifically walked back, leaning back beside Duo as well.

Ry, Alli and Delano filed in and arranged themselves into the chairs in front of them. Sally stormed in behind them, looking rather annoyed. "Does anyone else need to tell me about a serious medical condition that they didn't bother to get checked?"

She took an accusatory look especially at the three of them in the front before plopping down in a seat behind his officers and slinging her knees over the arm.

"Say what?" Duo blinked.

She waved a hand at them. "Quatre failed to mention that he just about got himself killed yesterday."

Duo and Relena started. "What?"

"Apparently they used Truth Serum on him, and he just didn't think that was worth telling us about."

Heero forced down the mild panic. Duo went livid. "What! How? When?"

Sally held up both hands to ward them off. "He's all right. No major damage. But I've told him to stay out of commission for a day." She looked up with an annoyed glance at Heero. "But he won't press charges."

Heero mulled that over. "No, he wouldn't."

"Sally, he's going to be okay, right?" Relena asked quietly.

She nodded. "He's fine. I sent him back with Miss Dorothy to keep him in line for a while though."

"Dorothy?" Relena interrupted.

"You didn't know she was here either?" Duo blinked. "Good, I don't feel so bad."

She leaned around the other ex-pilot and looked up at Heero. He nodded to her, and she blinked, obviously confused how she fit into this, but leaned back again.

"Yeah, can the rest of us get a program, 'cause we got lost back at round two somehow," Ry interjected.

Alli sat next to him, her arms and her legs crossed, looked rather bitter. "I'd personally like to know how our fearless leader fits in with all of this stuff?"

Heero took a look at the three of them while every eye in the room turned to him.

"Yeah, don't get too cozy with his 'fearless leader' side. You try to do him a favor and next thing you know you're sucker punched and locked up," Duo grumbled. Heero turned to give him a look just in time to see Relena elbow him.

"Duo, you're not helping."

"What did I do?" he balked, finally removing his arm from her shoulders.

From the chairs, Sally began giggling merrily to herself. "That's what happened to you!"

Duo snapped back to glare at her. "I never did get an apology from you."

She blinked. "For what? I'm not the one that left you."

Deflated, Duo turned to Heero again and sighed. "Yeah, never got one from you either."

Heero closed his eyes a moment, deciding that the damage was already done to this situation. "I told you, one for one."

"You coulda just let me in on the plan! I could have faked it."

Without looking up he muttered, "What fun would that be?"

Duo's eyes bugged as he turned on him. "…Why you sadistic, stoic, antisocial—"

With a dramatic sigh, Relena reached up and grabbed the back of his collar, lightly preventing him from moving any closer. "I don't know what this is about and I don't want to, but can we at least be diplomatic about it?" she mumbled.

Duo deflated and then turned to look back at her. "Aren't you dating the wrong guy to be talking about diplomacy?" he accused. Relena's eyes narrowed pointedly and Duo took a nervous step closer to Heero. Turning from her to him he muttered, "She's officially been around you too long."

"Well…" Ry mumbled. "I'm glad someone knows each other around here."

Heero silently scrutinized the same thing and waited for the two to acknowledge the comment.

Relena smiled, casting Duo a glance and then shrugged. "I know his girlfriend rather well." Stopping, she turned back to him again. "Speaking of which…?"

Duo rubbed a nervous hand against the back of his neck. "Yeah, she's going to hurt me when we get back." He chuckled lightly. "You wouldn't mind putting in a good word for me, would ya?"

Relena turned away with a smirk. "Maybe if you're nice."

He slumped. "Oh, come on, after all this!"

Ry stood up, throwing his hands into the air with exasperation. "That's it! I don't even what to know anymore." Vaguely he waved a hand around the room and sighed. "You people are nuts. I give up! I want transferred somewhere normal."

Alli grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back down again. "No way! You four have some explaining to do," she eyed over them pointedly and even pinning Sally back down in her seat. Turning back to Duo she glared. "And I don't even have a clue where you came from."

The whole room stayed quiet a moment until Duo broke eye-contact and eased over to lean into Heero's shoulder. "Uh…." Meeting his eyes, Heero watched his surprised features nod towards them and then shake his head no, silently asking if they knew. He slowly shook his head as well, and Duo faltered. "Oops."

Relena stepped away from them and paced over to the three. "Ry Noland, Alli Carver and Delano Ather." Motioning back towards Duo she made his introduction, "Duo Maxwell."

He straightened, giving them a goofy smile and a wave.

"…Gundam pilot," Delano mumbled. Everyone in the room snapped their attention to the quiet man as his eyes appraised Duo. "I was on colony at the time you were captured. After the media event that they made out of you, I thought you looked familiar. But after yesterday… that's the only thing that makes sense."

Duo rose both hands to his hips with a shrug. "Yeah, my fifteen minutes wasn't real pretty."

"Wait…" Ry was lost again.

"What…" Alli blinked. Slowly coming to she looked back up at Relena and then over to Heero and then back to Relena. "You already knew that."

Relena turned her attention down to her and nodded with a slight smile.

Delano focused back on Heero. "The knowledge of Miss Relena's family, the inhuman abilities, the odd references yesterday, and the fact that you and Mr. Winner seems to know each other far better than anyone who met a month ago should. They all add up."

"So…." The three officers focused on him, and Heero regarded them evenly. "You're…. You…."

He didn't figure any of them were going to get much closer than that and he nodded anyway.

Ry found a fun curse for the occasion and then finally blinked. "I knew you weren't normal."

"This isn't one of those…" Alli looked back and forth between him and Duo, "'now that you know we're going to have to kill you' type things is it?"

Heero saw Relena lick her lips and then bite down on her bottom one to keep from laughing. Failing miserably she shook her head and paced back towards him. "Not any more," he muttered.

The three looked confused and then Ry turned around in his seat to stare back at Sally, who was lounged back through the whole thing. "And you…?"

"Oh no!" she held up her hands. "I'm just the salvage operation."

Questioning her on how she knew about all of this, Heero watched Relena come back to his side. "That wasn't very subtle."

Duo hooked an elbow to lean on his other shoulder. "Um… I sorta figured that they, kinda, well… knew."

Heero turned to face his sheepish expression and shook his head. "It's all right." He glanced over the group that had turned to look at the three of them. "I'm going to have to start trusting them."

The three got it and they all nodded to him.

"So… St. Gabriel's," Ry looked at the two of them, "was a cover."

Relena hugged her arms to herself as Heero nodded.

"It wasn't until after my father was assassinated that I learned the truth," she commented quietly.

Alli blinked, and then glanced at Sally and then back to her. "So you do have a thing for the dangerous types," she winked.

Relena glanced up to meet his eyes a moment and then looked back down, a quick blush coming to her checks.

Heero stared down at her, confused. He felt Duo remove his elbow from his shoulder as a hip bumped him hard enough to stumble him closer to her. He turned to glare at him but only got his braid as he _very_ casually walked back the other direction.

Relena's laugh echoed with the others as she turned around to face away from them and out the windows.

"Welp," Duo announced with a stretch. "This has just been fun."

"Wait…." Ry stood up from his chair and glanced vaguely around the room. "Now, aside from being… well, scary and weird, I can see you," he pointed towards Heero, "and maybe you," he muttered, eyeing Duo. "But… Mr. Winner?" he blinked.

Duo vaguely waved a hand and paced back towards them. "See, no one ever suspects Quatre."

Heero eyed him, "He's better at being quiet."

Duo paced up beside them again and started, glaring at him a moment before leaning back against the window. "Just hope you don't get Quatre mad." He paused, rethinking that. "Or in a hurry…. Or—"

Heero gave him a look to shut up.

"Oh," Alli mumbled. "He's got Relena-syndrome."

Relena turned back around to face the group at the mention of her name.

Ry flopped back down in his chair, slumping low. "Yeah, the phrase 'shoot me or open the door' comes to mind about now."

Heero and Duo both started, turning to look at her as she gave the chuckling group a bitter stare. "Traitors."

Duo stared at her openly. "You did what?"

Relena gave Heero a rather annoyed look that he didn't think he deserved, before sighing. "Well, since _someone_ informed the entire ship that I was not allowed to be roaming around, I had to take a few measures into my own hands."

Alli chuckled. "They wouldn't let her into the command center when you guys showed up looking for her."

"That poor officer," Ry muttered. "Did we get his name? I think we owe him an apology note."

Duo blinked, looking around him again. "You mean we stood there for fifteen minutes trying to find you because someone put you into seclusion?" He took a quick glance around and then back to Heero, who was giving him a look again. "…Oh."

"Well, not everyone trusts me," Relena grumbled, but then gave Heero a joking smile.

Ry snorted. "That little display didn't inspire a whole lot of trust in me either."

"You chose to follow along," Relena muttered.

"I'm telling ya," Duo again leaned an arm on his shoulder, "fiery." Heero didn't acknowledge him.

"Now wait," Ry interjected. "Does…. Well, do the Preventers actually know who they gave that jacket to?" he asked, eyeing him.

Heero paused, "There are very few who know this. But Commander Une is one of them."

"Great," Ry muttered, turning to Alli. "Don't ever let me say I want to be an agent again."

Alli took her hand and smacked the back of his head with it. "Would you shut up?"

Duo chuckled. "I like those two," he mumbled to Heero as they began arguing again.

Heero gave him a noncommittally look but then sighed.

"Alright, settle down," Sally admonished. "I want statements and then you can go somewhere else to argue."

The group rehashed their latest exploits, sporadically asking questions in between, before Heero allowed the other three to leave. Relena had done a fine job of warning them within an inch of their lives not to saying anything in public. The three were… well shocked and a little off balance, but they seemed to be taking the brunt of it.

Of course, without ever honestly being there, the stories didn't have the same effect, and he hoped that meant they would never honestly know what went on. There would be questions, and conversations for months probably, with comments here and there. But they would still never really get an understanding of what went on, or what they had been through.

As the three left, he took a seat with Relena and she flashed him a smile. He figured it would be just fine with him if the others didn't know. He didn't care.

As Duo and Sally went through his part, Relena caught his eye and leaned into him a little farther. "Are you really all right with this?"

He nodded to her, fairly confident in their group. There were doubts… but then, he would always have those. Besides, they couldn't do any worse than Duo had with the information.

She smiled lightly, "Well, that wasn't so bad."

* * *

"Life is short. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly." - Robert Doisneau

Proofed by: Lisa. Thank you!


	22. Chapter 19

Reminder: Episode Zero is the only manga that I'm using (because it's a past tense plot line). Just so you know, there are a couple references ahead.

"Manifestations"  
By Isis  
Chapter 19

By a week's end, the crews had completed the first section of the colony, officially giving the Mars workers proper living quarters, as well as an accessible medical bay. The achievement carried a double-edged sword with it. At first look, it was a great cause for celebration. But its official opening was also slatted to be a memorial for those crewmembers who lost their lives in this orbit.

Heero stood in the back of the large meeting room and communications' center on the new colony section. Relena was the designated speaker for the event, but she had yet to make her appearance. He lounged one hip against the railing overlooking the double row of communications consoles. Set up much like the supply ship, he had a nice view of the proceedings from here.

The second level door behind him opened and he turned to watch Duo and Quatre enter. Quatre had been issued a clean bill of health, but had yet to stop apologizing to Heero for not having informed Duo that his subordinates didn't know his past. Not that it probably would have done any good, but Quatre still tried to blame himself for the leak. Heero brushed it off time and again, and even Relena had tried talking enough sense into him to keep him from feeling bad about it.

But the other two former pilots had been kept busy for the most part. Their expertise had come in very useful with the building project, especially now that the lead foreman was detained. It had somehow fallen on Quatre's shoulders to help coordinate the effort, probably due to the fact that he was one of the most knowledgeable people out here. With the _Romulus'_ Commander and supporting staff still in the med bay, they needed some sort of leadership.

Duo sauntered up beside him and crossed his arms to lean over the railing. Quatre stood beside him with his hands in his pockets, looking out at the assembly and waiting for the ceremony.

The side door across the floor opened to reveal Dorothy, who strode into the room carrying a collection of papers. During the week, she had officially gone from quiet investor in the Mars project, to full liaison between the fleet and Earth. Taking up the paperwork slack from the lack of official Commanders, she had easily thrown herself into the thick mess, detangling what she could of the personnel problems, and got the supply chains moving again.

Heero had honestly been impressed with her response to authority. And watching her and Quatre work together had been interesting enough.

The longhaired blond took a stance at the main communications' terminal in the center of the room, placing down a set of papers, more than likely Relena's speech. The two had become nearly inseparable during times as Relena did more than her share of problem solving as well, a fact that had initially worried him, but the feeling had passed. The two were different than they were at Relena's Sanq Kingdom school years ago. And it honestly got to be quite amusing to listen to them banter.

Not quite as amusing as Dorothy and Quatre. Although, putting all three of them in a room together was a vast mistake.

Finishing what she was working on, Dorothy managed to field a couple questions from the surrounding support group and then handed off the other pile of papers to one of the officers. Looking around, she spotted their group and flashed them a smile as she made her way around the room and up the side steps to their vantage point.

"May I join this little clique?" she asked as she made her way around them to Quatre's side. He mumbled a reply to her and she gave him a customary smirk before folding her hands under her chin, and turning to wait for the event.

Duo caught Heero's eye from his slumped vantage point. Making a gesture back to the two beside him, he wiggled his eyebrows and then rolled his eyes, a good-natured smirk in place. Heero turned away, fighting to keep his expression mostly neutral, as the other two stood oblivious.

The side door across the floor opened again and Relena was ushered in with Alli, Ry and Delano. The three separated themselves off to one side of the floor, staying close by. Relena moved to her position, shaking a few hands as she moved along. Flipping through the papers Dorothy had laid out for her, she placed her back to their group, facing the camera equipment that would broadcast the speech to the remainder of the fleet.

One of the ships' Chaplains stepped up beside her, designated to give the reflection prayer for the ashes of those they would be committing to space.

Relena had confided in him at some point during the week that she was very uncomfortable giving a speech for what was basically a funeral. But she had accepted the invitation, and he was sure that she had worked out any of her nervous jitters by now.

Heero knew it was bothering her though. Not so much the speech, but the idea that those lost here were killed—murdered—for some of the worst of human sins.

The back door behind them opened again as Zechs and Noin entered. Zechs betrayed only a small limp for his ordeal, and Sally had finally given in and let the man leave the med bay against her better judgment.

In truth, the two were indispensable now. They knew the members out here, knew the strategies and the practices. This was their home now, no matter what it shaped up like.

They were also taking on a new responsibility. Commander Une had gotten permission to set up a standing Mars Preventers section, reinstating the old "Fire" and "Wind," with or without their permission. As soon as Relena returned to diplomatic duties at home, her task would be to help supply the Preventers a budget to move personnel around out here as well. As it was, these two would be the permanent residents, others would move in and out, allowing for fresh blood with each shift change.

The two took positions on his other side. Noin—Lucrezia—Mrs. Marquese, whatever she went by now, leaned down with her arms against the railing. Zechs stood between the two, taking a look over his little sister below.

The center door to the room below opened for a group of officers, followed by Sally. Taking a quick look around she directed traffic for the four people with her and then casually made her way around to the side steps as well, coming up to stand next to Noin at the end of the row. The two exchanged a few words and he heard them chuckle over something together.

Heero took a casual look down the line of them, wondering how the group had honestly come to regard each other civilly. Of course he also decided that he didn't have to look too far for that answer, as he moved his eyes back down to the center of the room.

Relena. If the woman could get Zechs and himself to stand side by side, she could do anything. He didn't necessarily have to like that fact, but it was there nonetheless.

Relena stepped aside from the center of the banks as the Chaplain took the opening position. The monitors around kicked on and he began with an opening prayer for the souls of the lost. The group straightened for respect, but he was rather surprised when Duo and Dorothy both crossed themselves at the appropriate place.

Heero silently mused that Duo's priestly-looking outfits during the war may have been more than an odd coincidence, although he wouldn't have thought any of them were particularly religious. The others stood respectfully quiet during the opening and the blessing for the bodies. Heero vaguely wondered how many of them really prayed to God, or if they, like him, were more well-wishing that someone would hear them.

Looking aside, he watched Relena, her head bowed respectfully. Silently he figured that if anyone could honestly find God, it would be her.

The Chaplain finished and then offered the camera position to Relena who took it with a small thank you to him. She collected herself and started in. She centered on protecting the memory of those who lost their lives by living on for them, by continuing the work they were here to do. The group watched after her, following the words that fell easily and sincerely from her.

It was near the end that Heero started to notice a couple cracks. Just a few words that she lightly tripped over, or a phrase that didn't come out right. She barely glanced at the papers on the table in front of her, using them mostly as an outline. She was speaking from the heart, but he could hear something in her voice.

"In conclusion, I would like to speak frankly a moment," she began.

And Heero knew this was not originally part of her plan. Dorothy shifted down the line, casting her a quick look he was sure he saw her blink back a frown.

"I arrived here expecting to find the cause of an accident, and do my best to find a way to keep it from ever happening again. What I found was even worse. Not only was this caused by the petty actions of a few confused individuals… it is something that I cannot keep from repeating."

The whole group shifted at her words, becoming very aware of how close her emotions were to the surface.

Regaining herself, she focused on the camera again. "I can make no promises to any of you that there will never be a cause for this kind of terror again. In fact, I would be better off promising that there will be another time that you or your loved ones will face the same travesty."

"All that I can do is to hope and pray and offer my own voice with yours that intentions, like the ones that claimed the lives of so many, will be dispelled." She took a breath and placed herself back on track. "I had sincerely hoped that Mars could start fresh. That it would learn from the mistakes that Earth took so long to recognize. That humanity itself would know better by now."

"However…. There will always be emotions that can lead to these types of outbreaks. It will take dedication and observation from all of you to correct these mistakes. Peace is only created in one heart at a time. Everything else is out of our control, no matter how much we desire it to be different." She softened to a pause.

Looking up deliberately again, the monitors picked up on her strength like Heero had never seen them do before.

"I issue a challenge to Mars. I want to challenge it to be different. To learn from the past, and forge a future without the evils that have plagued Earth. I challenge the god of war to be a soldier for peace, to preserve the beauty of humanity and to fight the evils that threaten it. And therefore, I challenge each and every person here to vouch for their own intentions and purposes."

She paused forcefully. "To meet my challenge means determination and effort. To lose it… is to lose the values of life itself."

She took a glance back down at her notes again. "We commend the bodies of our friends and colleagues to space for their final rest." Looking back up, she held herself steady. "May we all allow them to rest in peace."

As the cameras clicked off, the monitors and the rest of the fleet were returned to the images of the ashes being released into space from one of the ships' storage hatches. Relena remained exactly where she was in the center of the room, as she silently gathered her notes in front of her on the table.

Her three security officers closed in on her easily from the side. But they were the only ones that could move. At the railing, Heero and the rest of the group looked down at her, still letting the words sink through.

Relena made a few comments to the others, obviously confirming that she was fine, before she slowly turned around. She met the gaze of the collective group, her eyes carefully picking out each one of theirs.

Finally they could see her sigh quietly, a small smile entering her expression as she looked back at them. Perhaps it was exactly the sight that she needed to see at that moment. A final reconciliation from all sides.

Perhaps, they manifested hope to her.

* * *

"Lady Catalonia," Quatre bowed as she opened the door to her room. Dorothy had taken over the private Captain's quarters as soon as he had been officially allowed to go back to normal life. It had been much more convenient for Quatre to share a room with some of the others, than it was to have both of them in a room alone.

With the first colony section finished, the resident crews were spending their first night off a ship. The _Star Grazer_ was officially down to its skeleton crew for the trip home, which let the crew spread out as much as they wanted.

"Mr. Winner," she returned with a smile. She stepped aside, allowing him to enter if he wanted, but he didn't move. He did manage to take a glance into the room, which had also been neatly converted into her office. As usual, since the end of the conflicts, the bed was strewn with piles of papers, and the shelf below the windows was stuffed full of more.

Raising an eyebrow he glanced back at her, "Busy?"

She smirked easily. "Not for you," she cooed.

He shook it off and motioned back out into the hallway. "I was wondering if I could borrow you for a moment?"

She gave him a funny look, but when he extended a hand, she took it without much hesitation. Pulling her out of the room, he idly walked her down the corridor to the mess hall and allowed her to enter ahead of him.

Dorothy was already suspicious, but the when the doors opened to reveal the rest of the men arranged inside the room, she made no move to walk in. Quatre took it upon himself to push her forward until they were both inside.

Glancing at the row of faces, she turned back to Quatre and blinked. "This looks like fun," she mumbled, and he couldn't help but smile at the slightly nervous expression. He knew he'd chosen this task for a reason.

Without a word, he turned and walked off to the side to stand next to Duo out of the way of the Maguanac soldiers that faced her. She crossed her arms behind her back and looked up at Rasid in the center of the group… possibly prepared for a firing squad.

"Lady Dorothy Catalonia," Rasid bowed slightly. "The Maguanac Corp. would like to offer you a 'consideration' for your help during the past few weeks."

Dorothy blinked, took a quick glance over the assembly of ten soldiers, and shook her head. "That's not needed."

Rasid gave her a small smile and shook his head. "It is not our way to leave heroic actions un-repaid."

"Heroic?" Dorothy chuckled, her confidence obviously coming back to her. "As I recall, Captain, I wasn't very nice to you about getting out here."

Quatre tried to bite back the chuckle. Abdul and Manul had gone into vivid detail about how exactly Dorothy had _talked_ her way into getting brought along, more than once. The story got worse each time it was told, but he was pretty sure he got the idea.

Rasid cleared his throat as most of the room attempted to hold back their chuckles as well. "That aside, Lady Dorothy, we are indebted to you." Manul and three other members stepped forward, creating a secondary rank among the men. "There are four volunteers among us that request to stay on Mars and look after things until you finish your work with the new Command staff."

Dorothy started, losing nearly all of her composure as she glanced first at Rasid, then at the volunteers and then at Quatre, and then back. "That isn't necessary. I couldn't possibly leave someone here. There is no way of knowing how long it will take to replace the chain of command."

The four men nodded absently. Manul smiled, "We understand that. We also know that you will be working directly with Mars Command, and that it would be of benefit to have honest reports coming back to you."

Dorothy balked and cast an accusing look in Quatre's direction. He tried to give her an apologetic smile for the slip, but failed.

"We each have experience with the operations here, and can easily be of service," Manul continued. "With the command structure the way it is, we understand that you could lose the supply line and other necessary control issues within days of your departure. We would like to prevent that."

Quatre knew that Dorothy was beyond just worried about leaving the Mars orbit, and he'd said as much to the men at some point. Losing a balance of power out here now would be disastrous. At one point Dorothy herself had considered staying on for a while, simply to be sure. It had been their own decision to offer her the help though, and he was deliberately staying out of their intentions.

Dorothy's hands slipped back down to her sides as she stared around her. "I cannot accept this kind of offer," she stated quietly. "If anyone needs to remain here, it should be me."

"We're not asking for you to stay, Lady. We are asking to be your liaisons," Manul answered.

"But…."

Rasid held up a hand to her, coming forward and then laying it on her shoulder. "Allow us, Lady."

Dorothy looked up the fifteen inch height difference, looking like she was going to protest. Instead she surprised them all by swallowing and nodded slightly. "I wouldn't want to be disrespectful," she muttered. The group laughed easily and the four volunteers were applauded for their new commission.

Duo shook his head from beside him. "You guys have a funny way of showing gratitude."

Quatre smiled at him and brushed it off.

The group celebrated the accomplishments and Dorothy had come to terms with the offer, stating valiantly that they would be well paid for the time out here on her behalf despite protests. Quatre figured she'd get a little more used to it.

It was when the group, only half-jokingly, brought up giving her the title of "Mistress" that Dorothy nearly came unglued. He silently figured that the offer would expire if she began assaulting them, and stepped in gallantly in defense of her already-accepted title.

The group continued their celebration of a mission accomplished, and Duo had even given Dorothy a mock toast for his newfound paycheck out of ordeal. It seemed that the half-destroyed crew carrier had quite a price tag in the salvage market, and Dorothy had offered him a fifteen-percent finder's fee if he could get one of his resources to buy it. Needless to say, that was a few more zeros then Duo typically saw.

After the amount of eyebrow and grim reaper jokes he'd stopped, Quatre was happy they had found something to be nice to each other about. …No matter how temporary.

The group moved on to something else, and he noticed Dorothy move herself out from the central position she typically held. Slipping over to his side, she gave him a weary smile that he returned wholeheartedly.

Shaking her head, she slipped her hand up his arm until it rested on his shoulder as she wrapped herself around his side. "What am I going to do with you boys?"

She laid her chin over her own hand as they turned back to watch the group laugh merrily over something.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice carrying that soft sincerity that revealed so much of her to him.

* * *

Relena stood at the windows of the observation lounge again, idly wasting time as the ship moved along through space. Heero sat in one of the chairs behind her, typing up another report sheet. She had heard enough grumbles between him and Sally—mostly Sally—to know that they had to be a pain.

Her paperwork wouldn't really start until they reached Earth again… a good thirty-six hours away.

She didn't mind. It was the calm before the storm. They could travel on for two days with the knowledge that the Mars crews were being well looked after, and that they had done them a great service.

She could forgive leaving with that type of send off.

They had made their good-byes to the other groups. Quatre, Duo and Dorothy were traveling along much the same way in the _Star Grazer, _towing the remains of the _Romulus_ and the scout ship with them. Relena let a smile slip into place at the thought of those three restless with nothing to do for this long.

Poor Quatre. It was a good thing he was feeling better. She'd have to call and make sure he survived.

…And then she'd have to call Dorothy for the other half of the story. And when Duo and Hilde called… well, she'd pretend she hadn't heard.

The three had honestly been heartwarming. They had said their good-byes after ensuring that the colony was functioning correctly and that the crews were all safely moved aboard. She had said her good-byes to her brother and sister-in-law as well, leaving them behind to continue what they had started together.

The two were a beautiful example of new beginnings and she almost hated to let them go. But she also knew that their life on Mars would be far easier than on Earth. She would just make sure to call them regularly, no matter what.

Sally and the others were ready to be back home. Her three officers were ready for some downtime while she spent her time with the mound of office work she needed to complete. Sally seemed antsy to be back to normal working procedure… which Relena had a slight suspicion had a tiny bit to do with her partner that she had left behind for over two weeks.

She nearly chuckled at that thought. For all the grief Sally kept giving her, perhaps it was about time to start dropping a few hints of her own. Granted she actually had no idea what Sally and Wufei's relationship amounted to. But why let that stop her?

She'd actually met Agent Chang Wufei only a few times, and she had never walked away feeling as though he liked her. She'd written it off to just his normal attitude, but she couldn't tell, and didn't especially want to ask.

She supposed she should feel lucky that she had ended up with Duo and Quatre on her list of dear friends. She had no idea at all about their fifth, Trowa Barton. She'd never met the man, and had officially missed her chance this time around as well. But she thought she might get the pleasure yet someday.

Glancing back over her shoulder at Heero, she suspected that the group would end up pulled together again. She just hoped it would be over more pleasant circumstances… although she wouldn't wager on it.

Gazing back out at the stars, she really appreciated the solitude. She didn't know the next time she would get this kind of quiet.

She didn't notice Heero's approach until he stood beside her at the window, silently watching the perpetually-night sky as well. He must have known what her thoughts were straying to, because he didn't seem concerned with her introspection.

She looked up and watched him turn towards her, those deep blue eyes looking nearly black in the dimmer lighting. But she couldn't miss that soft expression. She didn't hold down the smile that tugged at her lips and he seemed happy to see it.

No matter what else came, she felt confident that he would stay by her… and that was all she really needed to know of what their future held.

Softly she stepped into to his side, slipping an arm around his waist, and he responded with a hand on her back. Leaning her head against his shoulder, they continued their own little reflections, looking out together.

…Finally realizing what that meant.

* * *

"Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction." **- **Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people." - Jawaharlal Nehru

"Manifestations" complete - June 2005.

AN: This is the last chapter for "Manifestations". I just found this to be such a wonderful stopping point that I decided to leave it here. For all of those reading primarily for the action scenes, you may stop here.

However, I do plan on continuing the story. But I needed a new start to being the "romance" segment again. And I have also decided that Quatre and Dorothy have grown on me so much that they deserved their own story, otherwise there is going to be a LOT of arc chapters.

Officially "Manifestations" will be split into two different sequels. Heero/Relena will re-begin in a story I have decided to call "Realizations". Quatre/Dorothy will begin their own play in what will be titled "Revelations." (Can you tell I like word puns?)

To all of my reviewers: WOW! I can not express how GRATEFUL I am to all of you. My avid reviewers, you guys were my lifeline, and still are! I never imagined how much great advice and insight I could get. I can't tell you how much this means to me! Thank you!

* * *

I leave you with a short, totally OOC, fun sideline story. This got brought up with a review that I let the voices in my head go WAY too far with. Don't hate me for going OOC, just enjoy!

**Post: "okay was funny but i need some action or maybe some angst"**

(Isisauthor, standing on the imaginary set with the "cast.")

Isis: OK, I'm game. (takes out her fanfic gun and shoots Relena)

Relena: What the?? Oh! Gack, ack, oh, you got me!

Heero: Reeeelenaaa! (scoops her up in his arms) No, no, don't go. Please Relena…. (Looks deeply into her eyes.) I have nothing else to do in this series without you.

Relena: (loses her acting skills) What? Is that it? I'm just something to keep you entertained, aren't I?

Heero: (blink) Well, I'm used to a lot faster paced storyline.

Relena: Just kill me already.

Isis: (directing) Relena dies.

Heero: (curses) Relena, you can't die on me now. (whispers into her hair) I… I… I will….

Relena: (whispers) Wrong scene.

Heero: Would you shut up! You're dead!

Relena: Just spit out some sappy "I love you" and get it over with.

Heero: (Looks down at her and blinks, confused) But… I do love you.

Relena: (loses her "dead" appearance) Oh, Heero. (HUG!)

Isis: Nope, (shakes head) done too much. (erases the blood stains on her and they both stand. Takes out gun again and shoots Heero)

Heero: (shrugs) It's just a flesh wound.

Isis: (empties the clip into his chest)

Heero: Gack!

Relena: Heeeeeeerrrrrroooooooooo!! (Catches him as he falls)

Isis: I refuse to type that… again.

Heero: Re… le… na.

Relena: No, no Heero, please hold on. You can't die. You never die! Heero, I… I love you.

Heero: …I know…

Isis: (snore)

(Both look up at her)

Isis: Sorry, my OOC sap alert is going off.

(erases all blood stains and both stand again. Isis looks around the room with a new clip in, pointing at each character)

Duo: Hey, no shooting the comic relief guy!

Isis: hehee. (bang)

Duo: (falls over and dies.)

All cast: (blink, then look around at each other)

Duo: (rising) Helllllllooooo!! Dead guy here!

Isis: It's really too bad I didn't give Hilde a part. (erases blood again, and takes new aim)

Ry: Bit part.

Alli and Del: (nod)

Wufei: Injustice! I demand we draw straws!!

Isis: Whaaaa??

Sally: You know you like me too much.

Quatre: Uh….

Isis: Hummm…. (considers)

Quatre: (Gulp, nervous laugh) Um… I'd really prefer that—

(bang)

Quatre: Why me? (falls over)

(all 40 Maguanacs enter and surround him)

All: Master Quatre!! No!

(Dorothy fights her way to him)

Dorothy: Quatre! No! Don't die! I don't have a part without you. (shakes his body violently) You selfish, son of a (beep)! Stop being a wuss and get up! (Rasid pulls her off of him and tosses her up on one shoulder) Put me down! Quatre, I do not give you permission to die!

Isis: (holding her ears) Enough!

Rasid: Send in the sisters.

Isis: Oh bloody hell! (erases the blood and Quatre stands back up)

Dorothy: Oh Quatre!! (runs to hug him and knocks him back onto the floor.) I missed you!

Quatre: (sweatdrop)

Isis: (pulls out gun again and shoots Dorothy)

Dorothy: (jumps back to her feet) Why you miserable, no talent, poor excuse for an author! (stocks towards Isis)

Isis: Save me!!

Quatre: Dorothy! You've been shot!

Dorothy: Out of my way! I'll give that little worthless wench a piece of my—

Isis: (shoots her again, missing and it goes through her hair)

Dorothy: (stops instantly) ...my hair... You shot my hair…. You (beep)!!

Quatre: (holding her back with the rest of the Mags in tug-of-war style) Dorothy, I really think you should calm down and let me take a look at—

Dorothy: No, I'm going to— (blinks, then looks down at the original bullet hole in her chest) Oh… crud…. (falls over)

Quatre: No! (cradles her to him)

Dorothy: Get her for me Quatre…. (dies)

Quatre: (stares at her. Then his eyes shrink and he slowly begins to laugh, harder and harder.)

Rest of cast: (BEEP)!

Heero: Quick, where's Trowa?

Isis: I didn't write him a part, remember?

Relena: How could you not write him a part?

Isis: I didn't have a spot for him!

Quatre: (gets up and moves forward) hahahahhahahahahahahaaa!!! I'll kill everyone! Hahahhahaahhaaaa!!

Heero: (beep)!

Quatre: I'll kill you, stay away from me, or I'll kill you. (bad Darth Vader breathing)

Isis: (erases blood on Dorothy) Help! You're the closest thing we've got!

Dorothy: No way! You tried to kill me! Although…. (walks up behind Quatre and wraps her arms around him, doodling with her fingers on his chest) Quatre dear, have I ever told you that this a real turn on?

Quatre: I'll kill—Huh? (goes back to normal) Uh…. (nervous laugh and blush)

Isis: (sweatdrop) Dang, I should have done angst….

(The cast bows and curtains close)

"I have never written a thing; I have only been privileged enough to have read a few things before anyone else." – Carolyn Woerner

Proofed by: Lisa. Thank you!


End file.
